Neurofibrillary tangles were first described by Alois Alzheimer in one of his patients suffering from the disorder now referred to as Alzheimer's disease.Neurofibrillary tangles are pathological
protein aggregates found within
neurons in cases of
Alzheimer's disease. Tangles are formed by
hyperphosphorylation of a
microtubule-associated protein known as
tau, causing it to aggregate in an insoluble form. (These aggregations of hyperphosphorylated tau protein are also referred to as
PHF, or "Paired Helical Filaments"). The precise mechanism of tangle formation is not completely understood, and it is still controversial whether tangles are a primary causative factor in the disease or play a more peripheral role.
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