Revealing what drives PSP

The challenge

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a rare, incurable and fatal neurodegenerative disorder with no known cause and no treatments to slow or stop its progression, leaving patients and families with limited options and uncertainty. 

At its core, PSP is linked to the build-up of a protein called tau in the brain, but why this happens, and what sets PSP apart from other brain diseases, has remained a mystery.

To address this gap, lead researcher Dr Eleanor Drummond and her team at The University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre are undertaking a large-scale study to uncover what drives PSP, paving the way for earlier diagnosis and future treatments.

The role of philanthropy 

Funding from Hearts & Minds, as nominated by TDM Growth Partners, is helping researchers map key protein changes in PSP and define what makes it biologically distinct from other neurodegenerative conditions.

In a world-first, large-scale analysis of tau in PSP, the team has identified biological mechanisms that differ from those seen in other tau-related disorders. They have also developed a new human cell model of PSP, now being used to explore how newly identified proteins may contribute to, or protect against, disease progression. This is providing a new way to study PSP in human-based systems in the laboratory.

What this could unlock

This work is building a more complete understanding of the protein changes that drive PSP and helping to identify where future treatments could intervene. Importantly, it is shifting the field from observing the disease to actively testing what drives it.

The findings, datasets and laboratory models generated through this project are expected to support researchers globally in the discovery of new biomarkers, validation of drug targets, and faster progress toward effective therapies for people living with PSP.

For more insights into this area of research, we were fortunate to hear from lead researcher Dr Eleanor Drummond when she spoke at the 2025 Sohn Hearts & Minds Conference. You can watch her presentation below.

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Funding support from Hearts & Minds, as nominated by Core Fund Manager, TDM Growth Partners. For further information, visit the Brain and Mind Centre. This content was last updated in July 2026.