Vanderbilt scientists unveil first selective TAOK1 inhibitor and a pan-TAOK activator
Researchers at Vanderbilt have created a compound that selectively blocks TAOK-1 and another that stimulates all TAOK proteins, providing new tools to study Alzheimer’s disease.
Vanderbilt University scientists have introduced two novel chemical probes targeting the TAOK protein family, a group implicated in Alzheimer’s disease but previously difficult to study. Daniel Schultz and Ph.D. candidate Lauren Parr designed VU6083859, the first compound that selectively inhibits TAOK-1, while a second molecule, VU6080195, was found to activate all three TAOK isoforms. The discoveries emerged from a systematic library of related structures evaluated for activity and drug-like characteristics at the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery’s clinical-stage biotech, WCNDD.
These tools are expected to enable deeper investigation of TAOK biology and its role in neurodegeneration, potentially guiding future therapeutic strategies. The findings appear in ACS Chemical Neuroscience and were supported by multiple Alzheimer’s research endowments and the William K. Warren Foundation. The researchers hope the compounds will spur broader exploration of TAOK proteins in vivo.
Why it matters
New chemical probes can uncover disease mechanisms, accelerating the search for Alzheimer’s treatments.
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