A vaccine for AD with the amyloid protein as a target. This strategy is similar to alpha-syn based vaccine for PD. Good to know that AD vaccine works (in mice).


Bapineuzumab Might Tackle Alzheimer's Protein Early On

By Shirley S. Wang


Many scientists believe that Alzheimer's disease is caused in part by
a sticky substance called amyloid that clumps in the brain to cause
plaques. But scientists also have posited that the amyloid protein
could be causing trouble even before it forms plaques, when it is
still floating around in cerebrospinal fluid in its so-called soluble
form. (Other theories suggest that other proteins, such as tau, also
play a role.)

The experimental Alzheimer's vaccine bapineuzumab, being co-developed
by Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson, appears to bind to soluble amyloid
and "neutralize" amyloid's downstream toxic effects, preventing it
from binding to neurons, according to research presented today at an
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease conference in Barcelona.

So what's the significance of this finding?

Well, in mouse studies there does appear to be a benefit of injecting
the therapeutic vaccine, according to Gene Kinney, head of research at
J&J's Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy R&D group. Mice that are prone
to forming amyloid plaques and have trouble learning fear (a proxy for
cognitive function) were injected with bapineuzumab prior to plaque
formation. Those injected were better able to be conditioned to
fear-the fear-learning deficit was reversed to a level that was
comparable to healthy mice, said Kinney.

Though scientifically interesting, whether the vaccine's binding to
soluble amyloid really matters depends on if it translates to actual
improvements in symptoms. This question can only be answered when
human clinical trials are completed, according to Kinney.

It remains to be seen whether bapineuzumab will be effective when
given to patients who are in the early stages of the disease.

Bapineuzumab, which is late-stage human testing, has shown limited
efficacy in earlier stage trials and encountered a setback in terms of
safety in 2009.