During his PhD, Dr Maina revealed the localization of tau in the nucleolar remodelling complex in cultured cells and human brains and its role in nucleolar transcription and nucleolar stress response [1][2][3]. Traditionally, tau has been studied as a microtubule-associated protein, and its role in microtubules and aggregation has been widely studied to explain tauopathies - a group of diseases in which tau misfunctions. Dr Maina's work revealed that tau has other roles in the nucleolus, a finding that significantly aided the development of a new field focusing on tau biology in the nucleus. Dr. Maina continued his investigation as a postdoctoral fellow in the Serpell lab using a combination of biophysics, cell culture, and high-content imaging, leading him to show that 1) paired helical filaments in Alzheimer’s disease are cross-linked via ditorysine bonds, a process that triggers the formation of insoluble tau in vitro [4] [5]. 2) the self-assembly process of amyloid beta is critical for its toxicity, explaining why oligomers confer more toxicity than amyloid beta fibrils [6] [7].
Recognizing the potential influence of ancestral backgrounds on nucleolar pathways and tauopathies, and acknowledging the underrepresentation of Africans in tauopathy research despite Africa's rich genetic diversity, Dr. Maina took the initiative to bridge this research gap through the development of less invasive models. In Nigeria, he collaborated extensively with local stakeholders in Yobe State, through which his team at BioRTC is pioneering the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from indigenous Nigerians [8]. His research seeks to dissect the functional role of tau in the nucleolus and the cellular and molecular mechanisms of nucleolar dysfunction in tauopathies, with a particular emphasis on the role of African ancestry. Mb369 (talk) 08:53, 12 October 2023 (UTC)Reply
