Researchers Uncover Surprising Memory Role of Alzheimer's Tau Protein - Video

What if the same protein linked to Alzheimer's disease is also the key to forming lasting memories?

A new study published in Nature Communications has found that tau, a protein long associated with Alzheimer's disease, is also essential for creating long-lasting memories. The discovery sheds new light on how healthy memory works and could help researchers develop better treatments for dementia in the future.

Scientists from Flinders University, the University of New South Wales, and Macquarie University studied memory formation in mice. They found that tau is not required for learning new information or recalling it shortly afterward. Instead, it plays a critical role in turning short-term experiences into stable, long-term memories.

The researchers focused on specialized brain cells called engram cells, which store memories. They discovered that tau helps select which of these cells will preserve a new experience. It also reduces unnecessary "background noise" in the brain, allowing only the right cells to form a clear and lasting memory.

The team also identified that tau undergoes a normal chemical change, called phosphorylation, during learning. While abnormal tau phosphorylation is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, this study shows that low, controlled levels of the process are actually essential for healthy memory formation.

Interestingly, even without tau, memory traces still existed in the brain and could be recovered by directly stimulating engram cells. This suggests tau is not needed to store memories but is crucial for linking natural cues, such as sights or sounds, to memory recall.

When disease-related forms of tau were present during learning, they disrupted the formation of new memories. If abnormal tau appeared after memories had already formed, it interfered with their retrieval.

Although the findings come from mouse studies and need confirmation in humans, they suggest that memory problems in Alzheimer's may result from disrupted organization and access to memories, rather than memories simply disappearing.

REFERENCE: Renée Kosonen, Kristie Stefanoska, Yijun Lin, Samantha Edwards, Emmanuel Prikas, Josefine Bertz, Anne Poljak, Lars M. Ittner, Arne Ittner. Tau T205 phosphorylation modulates engram cell recruitment and remote memory in mice. Nature Communications, 2026; DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-73207-9