What may happen if microtubules collapse to cause Alzheimer's disease?
Another hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease is the presence of
neurofibrillary tangles inside neurons. These involve a protein
called tau, which functions like railroad ties to bind microtubule
“tracks” together. In the brains of AD victims, tau abandons its
microtubule-stabilizing role and grabs onto other tau molecules,
forming spaghetti-like neurofibrillary tangles, which kill the
neurons by disrupting their transport mechanisms. As the brain
cells die, the brain shrinks. Loss of neurons in the basal
forebrain is associated with a shortage of the neurotransmitter
acetylcholine, and drugs that inhibit breakdown of acetylcholine
slightly enhance cognitive function in AD patients.