The subject invention concerns materials and methods for treating neurodegenerative diseases and conditions associated with aggregation of the
microtubule-associated
protein tau. A method of the invention comprises administering an effective amount of a
heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27), or a biologically-active fragment or variant thereof, or a
polynucleotide encoding the same, to a person or animal in need of treatment. In one embodiment, a
heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27), or a biologically-active fragment or variant thereof, is contacted with or provided to a target
cell. The target
cell can be a
neuron. In a specific embodiment, an Hsp27 is delivered to the target
cell via a
polynucleotide encoding an Hsp27 protein, or a biologically-active fragment or variant thereof. In one embodiment, a method of the invention comprises injecting (e.g., via stereotaxic injection) a
polynucleotide expression construct of the invention comprising a polynucleotide encoding an Hsp27 protein directly into neural tissue of a person or animal. The subject invention also concerns compositions comprising i) a
heat shock protein 27, or a biologically-active fragment or variant thereof, and / or ii) a polynucleotide encoding an Hsp27, or a biologically-active fragment or variant thereof. The polynucleotide can be an expression construct that provides for expression of an Hsp27 in a target cell.