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Tau pathology is commonly analyzed by positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. However, recently developed cell-based techniques for analyzing tau pathogenicity may also be used to measure an early biomarker in tauopathies.
New methods for detecting indications of neurodegeneration are necessary to diagnose neurodegenerative diseases. In identifying suitable biomarkers that can be monitored by these techniques, the pathogenic mechanisms that lead to these diseases may also be elucidated.
Recent studies have suggested that manipulating the tumor-associated macrophage phenotype is a valid therapeutic approach in cancer. In turn, these studies have given some insight into the factors that polarize macrophages, thereby suggesting alternative therapeutic avenues.
Macrophages are responsive to local tissue signals and alter their phenotypes accordingly. In disease tissues this means that macrophage phenotypes may change with disease progression, exacerbating or facilitating the resolution of the pathology.