Healthy neurons naturally produce “TAR DNA binding protein 43,” called TDP-43 for short. This protein is important for healthy neuronal function. However, TDP-43 can be altered after synthesis, causing it to accumulate and concentrate in the “wrong” part of cells, preventing them from functioning normally.
These accumulations are associated with devastating neurodegenerative diseases such as motor neuron disease (MND), also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease, and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).