Detecting the Undetectable: Advances in Methods for Identifying Small Tau Aggregates in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Tau, a microtubule-associated protein, plays a critical role in maintaining neuronal structure and function. However, in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies, tau misfolds and aggregates into oligomers and fibrils, leading to neuronal damage. Soluble tau oligomers are increasingly recognised as the most neurotoxic species, inducing synaptic dysfunction and contributing to disease progression. Detecting these early-stage aggregates is challenging due to their low concentration and heterogeneity in biological samples. Traditional methods such as immunostaining and ELISA lack the sensitivity and specificity to reliably detect small tau aggregates. Advanced single-molecule approaches, including smFRET and SiMPull, offer improved sensitivity for studying tau aggregation at the molecular level. These emerging tools provide critical insights into tau pathology, enabling earlier detection and characterisation of disease-relevant aggregates, thereby offering potential for the development of targeted therapies and diagnostic approaches for tauopathies.