New studies suggest that Alzheimer’s disease may be vaccinated

A new approach to potentially cure Alzheimer’s disease The disease and its vaccinations have been developed by scientists.

This study suggests that both antibody-based therapies and protein-based vaccines developed by the team alleviated the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in a mouse model of the disease.

Instead of focusing on the amyloid beta protein of amyloid plaque in the brain, which is generally associated with Alzheimer’s disease, both products target different forms of protein that are considered highly toxic.

Amyloid beta proteins naturally exist in solution as very flexible filamentous molecules that can bind to form fibers and plaques.

Most of these molecules have been shortened in Alzheimer’s disease, and some scientists now believe that these forms are key to the onset and progression of the disease.

The work is a collaboration between researchers. University Leicester, University Medical Center Göttingen, Medical Research Charity Life Arc

Professor Thomas Bayer of the University of Göttingen Medical Center said:

“Some of them even show negative side effects, so we decided on another approach.

“We have identified antibodies in mice that neutralize the shortened form of soluble amyloid beta but do not bind to normal forms of protein or plaque.”

The antibody was adopted by Dr Preeti Bakrania of LifeArc and his colleagues, so the human immune system does not recognize it as a foreign body and accepts it.

Lester researchers were surprised when they discovered how and where this humanized antibody, called TAP01-04, binds to the amyloid beta abbreviation.

They saw the amyloid beta protein folded back into itself in a hairpin-shaped structure.

Professor Mark Kerr of the Institute for Structural Chemistry and Biology at the University of Leicester explains:

“But by discovering such a well-defined structure, the team was able to manipulate this region of the protein to stabilize the shape of the hairpin and bind to the antibody in the same way.

“Our idea was that this manipulated form of amyloid beta could be used as a vaccine to trigger someone’s immune system to make TAP01-04 type antibodies.”

When the engineered amyloid beta protein was tested in mice, they found that this “vaccine” animal produced TAP01-type antibodies.

This antibody and an engineered amyloid beta vaccine called TAPAS were then tested in two different mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease.

Based on imaging techniques similar to those used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease in humans, researchers have found that both antibodies and vaccines help restore neuronal function.

Studies show that they also increased glucose metabolism in the brain, helped restore memory loss, and were not directly targeted, but even reduced amyloid beta plaque formation.

Dr. Baklania of LifeArc said: “TAP01-04 humanized antibodies and TAPAS vaccines target different forms of protein, which makes them very different from previous antibodies tested in clinical trials and vaccines for Alzheimer’s disease.

“This makes it very promising as a therapeutic antibody or vaccine as a potential treatment for this disease.

“The results so far are very exciting and prove the team’s scientific expertise.

“If the treatment is successful, it can change the lives of many patients.”

Professor Kerr added: “Science is still in its infancy, but if these results are reproduced in human clinical trials, it could be a game changer.

“If symptoms are detected, we not only treat Alzheimer’s disease, but we also have more possibilities to vaccinate the disease before it appears.”

Researchers are currently looking for commercial partners to take therapeutic antibodies and vaccines through clinical trials.

The survey results are published in Molecular Psychiatry.

PA