Strong animal data for amyloid AD vacc

A vaccine for Alzheimer's disease improves learning and memory deficits in mice, according to a new study published in the May 3 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.

One theory on the cause of AD is that amyloid-beta plaques, clumps of protein that build up between nerve cells in the brain, contribute to cognitive and behavioral deficits. A team of scientists led by Marcel Maier, developed a vaccine using a special type of amyloid-beta substance capable of triggering the body's immune system to produce antibodies, which reduced the build up of amyloid-beta plaques in the brains of mice and led to improved cognition.

The product was administered via nose drops and targeted only the region of the amyloid-beta protein that is important for generating antibodies against it and avoided the immune response in mice thought to be responsible for the dangerous side effect of brain inflammation that a previous AD vaccines encountered in humans. Commenting on the findings, Samuel Gandy of the Farber Institute for Neurosciences of the Thomas Jefferson University, USA, said: "while there are several promising strategies for delaying or preventing AD, this new vaccine might be able to treat the disease, giving the brain the best chance at recovery."