Fresh insights into the spread of toxic proteins that contribute to Alzheimer’s disease could help researchers develop a strategy to stop the disease from progressing, according to a study by the University of Edinburgh. The researchers found that synapses, which send signals through the brain and are essential to healthy function, also transport toxic proteins such as tau. The accumulation of tau protein clumps, known as tangles, within brain cells is a key feature of Alzheimer’s. The study found that small clumps of tau oligomers are found within synapses of people with Alzheimer’s, and that these can travel between synapses, spreading toxic tau throughout the brain.