Autopsy case reveals mixed alpha-synuclein and tau pathology in a young adult with MPAN, suggesting complex neurodegeneration mechanisms.
Mitochondrial membrane protein associated neurodegeneration (MPAN) is a rare and genetically defined subtype of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA) caused by pathogenic variants in C19orf12. We report an autopsy case in a young adult with a homozygous C19orf12 missense variant. Neuropathological examination demonstrated iron deposition within the globus pallidus, widespread neuroaxonal spheroids, and extensive α-synuclein pathology of the brainstem, limbic and neocortical regions. In addition, we identified focal tau pathology in hippocampus, and entorhinal cortex.
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Gómez-Isaza et al. (2026) studied this question.
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