Major Step Toward an Alzheimer's Vaccine

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A team of researchers from Université Laval, CHU de Québec, and pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has discovered a way to stimulate the brain's natural defense mechanisms in people with Alzheimer's disease. This major breakthrough, details of which are presented January 15 in an early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), opens the door to the development of a treatment for Alzheimer's disease and a vaccine to prevent the illness

One of the main characteristics of Alzheimer's disease is the production in the brain of a toxic molecule known as amyloid beta. Microglial cells, the nervous system's defenders, are unable to eliminate this substance, which forms deposits called senile plaques.

The team led by Dr. Serge Rivest, professor at Université Laval's Faculty of Medicine and researcher at the CHU de Québec research center, identified a molecule that stimulates the activity of the brain's immune cells. The molecule, known as MPL (monophosphoryl lipid A), has been used extensively as a vaccine adjuvant by GSK for many years, and its safety is well established.

In mice with Alzheimer's symptoms, weekly injections of MPL over a twelve-week period eliminated up to 80% of senile plaques. In addition, tests measuring the mice's ability to learn new tasks showed significant improvement in cognitive function over the same period.

The researchers see two potential uses for MPL. It could be administered by intramuscular injection to people with Alzheimer's disease to slow the progression of the illness. It could also be incorporated into a vaccine designed to stimulate the production of antibodies against amyloid beta. "The vaccine could be given to people who already have the disease to stimulate their natural immunity," said Serge Rivest. "It could also be administered as a preventive measure to people with risk factors for Alzheimer's disease."

"When our team started working on Alzheimer's disease a decade ago, our goal was to develop better treatment for Alzheimer's patients," explained Professor Rivest. "With the discovery announced today, I think we're close to  our objective."

New Vaccine for Alzheimer's Disease

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CANBERRA, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Australian scientists from University of Sydney on Saturday announced they have developed a vaccine to help halt the progression of Alzheimer's disease of humans in a joint race.

The vaccine, which targets a damaged protein inside brain's nerve cell known as tau, prevents the ongoing neurofibrillary tangles in the brain of a mouse with Alzheimer's disease. The progress of neurodegenerative condition affects more than 35 million people worldwide.

The research team at the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Research Institute (BMRI) was led by Associate Professor Lars Ittner, from the Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease Laboratory.

Professor Ittner said so far the vaccine was only tested in mice with Alzheimer's and results have shown it can stop the disease progressing.

"Our study is the first to show that a vaccine targeting the tau protein can be effective once the disease has already set in," he said in a statement.

"Most of the other vaccines targeting tau were tested only before or around the onset of the disease in animal models, but the vast majority of people with Alzheimer's disease are only diagnosed after the symptoms have appeared."

According to Ittner, his team are working with a major pharmaceutical company on developing the vaccine for human trials within five years.

While none of the vaccines is considered a cure, the team was collaborating with the U.S. pharmaceutical industry to develop this new vaccine and about 269,000 Australians suffering from dementia will therefore be benefited.

Currently, there are some existing drugs can help stop Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia from getting worse. However, they do not tackle the underlying causes and become less effective over time.

The scientists published details of study on the vaccine in scientific journal PLoS ONE this week.

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Now, researchers led by Dr. Dan Frenkel, Tel Aviv U, are working on a vaccine that promises to protect against Alzheimer’s and stroke by repairing vascular damage in the brain, even when symptoms of the disease are present. The drug works by inducing “an immune response against amyloid proteins in the blood vessels," says Frenkel, who adds, "In early pre-clinical studies, we've found it can prevent both brain tissue damage and restore cognitive impairment.” Plus, the drug may prevent hemorrhagic strokes. The vaccine has been successfully tested on animals and Frenkel is hopeful that this new approach may lead to a cure.