MAPT (Tau) expression is a biomarker for an increased rate of survival for low-grade glioma

The association of MAPT (Tau) with various tauopathies and other neurological disorders has long been established. However, the role of microtubule-associated protein Tau (MAPT) expression in brain cancer is largely unknown. To determine whether MAPT expression is related to low-grade glioma (LGG) survival rates, RNASeq data representing samples from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were assessed. Results revealed that high expression of the MAPT gene is very strongly associated with increased overall and disease-free survival in LGG but not in breast cancer or melanoma. No such association was apparent for either amyloid precursor protein or -synuclein gene expression. The expression levels of particular apoptosis- and pro-proliferative-effector genes were consistent with the Tau-associated increased survival rates. It has been well established that the Tau protein plays a neurodegenerative role, and in this study we identified, for the first time, a potential cell apoptosis function that Tau may play in cancers of the central nervous system.