Treatment of Alzheimer's disease: an encouraging result
The first vaccine against Alzheimer's disease has successfully passed clinical trials
The vaccine with the symbol CAD106 is called a real breakthrough in the long search for a life-saving remedy for this very serious disease that causes dementia and eventually death. A report on its development and trials is published in the Lancet Neurology journal (Winblad et al., Safety, tolerance, and antibody response of active A-beta immunotherapy with CAD106 in patients with Alzheimer's disease: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, first-in-human study).
Alzheimer's disease is a complex neurological disease accompanied by progressive dementia. According to statistics from the World Health Organization, dementia is the fastest growing global epidemic of our days. The main cause of the disease is the protein APP (amyloid precursor protein, amyloid precursor protein - VM), which is located in the outer membranes of nerve cells and which, instead of peacefully splitting at a certain time, avoids this fate by forming a harmful substance – beta–amyloid. The latter accumulates in the form of plaques and kills brain cells.
There is no cure for Alzheimer's disease. All that can be done is to mitigate the symptoms. However, scientists do not give up, the work on finding effective therapeutic agents does not stop for a second. Alas, the clinical trials of the first candidate for the title of Alzheimer's vaccine, which were conducted almost ten years ago, were accompanied by too many negative adverse reactions and were curtailed. The principle of operation of the vaccine used then was the activation of T-lymphocytes, which began to attack their own brain matter.
The new vaccine is different in spirit from the first unsuccessful development. The principle of operation of the current remedy is active immunization, which triggers an immune defense reaction against beta-amyloid, and not its own brain tissue.
In human clinical trials, it was found that 80% of patients produced their own antibodies against beta-amyloid without any side effects during the three years of testing. Thus, it should be recognized that the CAD106 vaccine is a portable therapeutic agent for people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.
But these were small trials, now it's the turn for full-scale long tests of a promising tool...
Prepared based on the materials of the Karolinska Institute: Alzheimer's vaccine trial a success.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru09.06.2012