Newborns Share Elevated p-tau217 Biomarker Seen in Alzheimer’s Disease
A study reveals that a biomarker for Alzheimer’s naturally occurs at high levels in newborns during early development.
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A large international study led by researchers at the University of Gothenburg has found that newborn babies and individuals with Alzheimer’s disease share an elevated level of a specific protein fragment in the blood. This fragment, phosphorylated tau at threonine 217 (p-tau217), is a biomarker used to detect Alzheimer’s disease but has now been shown to occur naturally in infants during early brain development.
Phosphorylated tau (p-tau217)
A modified form of the tau protein, which is used as a biomarker in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease due to its role in neurofibrillary tangle formation.The study, published in Brain Communications, analyzed blood samples from more than 400 individuals, including healthy newborns, premature infants, young adults, elderly individuals and people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The researchers observed that p-tau217 levels were highest in newborns – exceeding even those seen in Alzheimer’s patients – and declined steadily over the first few months of life.
Distinct mechanisms underlie p-tau217 elevation in infants and adults
In Alzheimer's disease, elevated p-tau217 levels in plasma are thought to result from the aggregation of β-amyloid protein into amyloid plaques, which precede the accumulation of tau tangles linked to cognitive decline. However, the newborn brain does not show these pathological features. The researchers propose that the increase in p-tau217 in infants is driven by a different and likely beneficial mechanism related to neurodevelopment.
Amyloid plaques
Protein aggregates composed of β-amyloid that accumulate in the brain during Alzheimer's disease.Synaptic connections
Links between neurons that allow for the transmission of electrical or chemical signals.Earlier animal studies suggested that phosphorylated tau proteins may support early brain maturation, but this is the first study to measure p-tau217 in the blood of human newborns. The findings indicate that p-tau217 may contribute to neuronal growth and the establishment of synaptic connections during a critical period of brain development.
Levels linked to gestational age
Among newborns, premature infants had the highest p-tau217 concentrations, which correlated with how early they were born. This suggests that the protein may play a role in supporting rapid brain growth under challenging prenatal and perinatal conditions.
Implications for Alzheimer’s research
While p-tau217 is a validated biomarker for Alzheimer’s diagnosis and has recently received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, the study’s findings underscore the importance of understanding the mechanisms behind its increase. The results suggest that amyloid plaques may not be the sole driver of p-tau217 elevation, which could impact how the marker is used in clinical and epidemiological research, as well as in drug development.
The researchers suggest that by studying how the newborn brain safely accommodates high levels of phosphorylated tau, new approaches to mitigate tau toxicity in Alzheimer’s disease might be identified.
Reference: Gonzalez-Ortiz F, Vávra J, Payne E, et al. The potential dual role of tau phosphorylation: plasma phosphorylated-tau217 in newborns and Alzheimer’s disease. Brain Comm. 2025:fcaf221. doi: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaf221
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