MAPT and neurodegenerative disease: Hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) is the primary component of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), a pathological hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism associated with chromosome 17, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which has recently gained significant attention due to sports- and military-related injuries (1–4).