Treatment of tauopathies

Abstract

The invention is directed to methods of treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies, via the administration of antibodies having specificity to abnormal forms of tau protein, the antibodies showing no binding and/or reactivity to a normal tau protein and being administered under conditions and in amounts effective to prevent or treat Alzheimer's disease or other tauopathies. In certain embodiments, the antibodies are selective for soluble truncated tau protein truncated at (i) its C-terminus after the glutamic acid residue Glu391, or (ii) at the aspartic acid residue Asp421, or (iii) at its N-terminus at the aspartic acid residue Asp13, or (iv) a combination of (i)-(iii). Further aspects of the invention are directed to the administration of an immunogen comprising an abnormal tau, preferably a soluble truncated tau.

1 - 66 . (canceled) 
     
     
         67 . A method of treating a tauopathy in a subject comprising administering TauC3 to the subject, TauC3 being administered under conditions and in an amount effective to treat the tauopathy. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein the subject is a human. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein the tauopathy is Alzheimer's disease. 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein TauC3 are administered in an amount effective to promote clearance of neurofibrillary tangles from the brain of the subject. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein TauC3 are administered in an amount effective to inhibit polymerization of tau in the brain of the subject. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein TauC3 are administered in an amount effective to inhibit aggregation of tau in the brain of the subject. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein TauC3 are administered in an amount effective to minimize neurofiblary tangles formation in the brain of the subject. 
     
     
         74 . A method of treating a tauopathy in a subject comprising clearing tau truncated at the aspartic acid residue Asp421 from the brain of the subject by administering an effective amount of TauC3 to the subject. 
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 74 , wherein the subject is a human. 
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 74 , wherein the tauopathy is Alzheimer's disease. 
     
     
         77 . A pharmaceutical formulation comprising (i) an active agent comprising TauC3 and (ii) one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients, wherein TauC3 is in an effective amount to treat a tauopathy. 
     
     
         78 . The pharmaceutical formulation of  claim 77 , wherein the subject is a human. 
     
     
         79 . The pharmaceutical formulation of  claim 77 , wherein the tauopathy is Alzheimer's disease. 
     
     
         80 . The pharmaceutical formulation of  claim 77 , wherein the active agent comprises from about 0.01% to about 90% of the formulation by weight. 
     
     
         81 . The pharmaceutical formulation of  claim 77 , wherein said excipient(s) comprise(s) from about 10% to about 99.99% of the formulation by weight.