Tubulin Fights Brain Toxic Clumps, Neurodegeneration

Baylor researchers discover potential new strategy to combat Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases

Published on Mar. 7, 2026

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Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have discovered that tubulin, the building block of microtubules, can stop the toxic accumulation of Tau and alpha synuclein protein clumps in the brain that are linked to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The team found that tubulin can drive these harmful proteins towards their normal, healthy roles instead of forming damaging aggregates.

Why it matters

Tau and alpha synuclein are key contributors to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, but they also serve essential functions in healthy neurons. This discovery suggests that boosting tubulin levels, rather than just blocking the formation of harmful protein droplets, could be a selective therapeutic strategy to curb toxic aggregation while preserving the healthy roles of these proteins.

The details

The researchers used biochemical, biophysical, and microscopy techniques to investigate tubulin's role in modulating and preventing the formation of toxic Tau and alpha synuclein aggregates. They found that when tubulin levels are low, as seen in Alzheimer's disease, microtubules are less abundant and the harmful proteins can form toxic clumps. But when tubulin is present, Tau and alpha synuclein shift away from the harmful aggregates and instead promote the assembly of healthy microtubules, redirecting the activity of these proteins to productive ends.

  • The research was published on March 7, 2026.

The players

Baylor College of Medicine

A private medical school and health sciences research university located in Houston, Texas.

Dr. Lathan Lucas

Postdoctoral associate of biochemistry and molecular pharmacology in Dr. Allan Ferreon's lab at Baylor College of Medicine and first author of the study.

Dr. Allan Ferreon

Associate professor of biochemistry and molecular pharmacology at Baylor College of Medicine and co-corresponding author of the study.

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What they’re saying

“Tau and alpha synuclein are well known for their roles in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. In these conditions, these proteins can misfold, stick together and form harmful aggregates that damage neurons and contribute to memory loss, movement problems and other symptoms.”

— Dr. Lathan Lucas, Postdoctoral associate (Mirage News)

“This led us to the following idea: what if instead of preventing the formation of droplets, we created conditions that would drive Tau and alpha synuclein inside the droplets toward their healthy path, discouraging them from taking the disease path?”

— Dr. Allan Ferreon, Associate professor (Mirage News)

“When tubulin levels are low, as it has been found in Alzheimer's disease, microtubules are less abundant and Tau and alpha synuclein can form toxic aggregates. But when tubulin is present, Tau and alpha‑synuclein shift away from harmful aggregates and instead promote the assembly of healthy microtubules.”

— Dr. Lathan Lucas, Postdoctoral associate (Mirage News)

What’s next

The researchers plan to further investigate how tubulin can be leveraged as a potential therapeutic strategy to combat neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

The takeaway

This discovery significantly shifts the understanding of tubulin's role in neurodegeneration, from a passive casualty of disease to an active protector against toxic protein aggregation. Boosting tubulin levels could offer a selective therapeutic approach to curb harmful protein clumps while preserving the healthy functions of Tau and alpha synuclein.