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A research team led by Dr. Yijuang Chern at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, reveals the critical role of a protein called Galectin-3 in tauopathies.  The research indicates that the presence of pTau stimulates the release of more Galectin-3 and tiny structures called extracellular vesicles from the microglia. These vesicles contain both Galectin-3 and pTau, further intensifying the disease's progression. The research finding provides new insights into Alzheimer's disease and related brain conditions, known collectively as tauopathies. The research, a joint effort with international teams from France and the USA, puts Galectin-3 in the spotlight as a potential target for developing new treatments for tauopathy and similar neurodegenerative diseases. This study has been published on November 21, 2023 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.