A research team, led by scientists at the Institute for Molecular Medicine and University of California at Irvine, has reported success with a vaccine against Alzheimer’s dementia tested in mice.
The vaccine spurs the body to create antibodies that remove, and then prevent, the agglomeration of amyloid and tau proteins in the brain. These two proteins are thought to cause the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease by flummoxing communication among brain cells.
In mice genetically engineered to be susceptible to Alzheimer’s, the vaccine, dubbed Advax, prevented the proteins’ build-up when mice were injected before symptoms appeared. Advax also cleared the proteins in mice already showing symptoms.
Other attempts at vaccines have targeted either amyloid or tau proteins. Evidence hints that the proteins work together to cause dementia. Advax combines ingredients that target both.
Human trials are being planned.
TRENDPOST: Other trials have shown success in reversing Alzheimer’s both by injection and by lifestyle management. With the addition of a vaccine and similar treatments, Alzheimer’s will be a preventable, and curable, illness by 2035.
