New hope for Alzheimer’s
December 9, 2011
RESEARCHERS at the University of
Sydney have begun collaborating
with the US pharmaceutical
industry to develop a vaccine for
humans, following the creation of a
drug which slows the progression
of Alzheimer’s disease and other
types of dementia in mice.
Developed by researchers at
Sydney Uni’s Brain and Mind
Research Institute, the vaccine targets a protein known as tau, and
was found to prevent the ongoing
formation of neurofibrillary tangles
in the brain of mice affected by
Alzheimer’s disease.
The exciting research, published
in PLoS ONE, is the first to show
that a vaccine targeting the tau
protein can be effective once the
disease has already set in.
“The vaccine appears to have a
preventative effect: slowing the
development of further tangles,
rather than clearing existing ones,
but the exact mechanism involved
is not yet understood,” said lead
author on the study, Associate
Professor Lars Ittner.
“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.
“Although we have a long way to
go before the vaccine might be
available for human use, these
early results are very promising
and a great reward for the
countless hours spent in the lab by
me and my team!,” Ittner added.
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