Vaccines

[Izzy]

Hi there.
Recently a Scottish newspaper (The Herald) ran an article about recent research into a vaccine for AD. A man called Dr Frank LaFerla from UCI Institute for Ageing and Dementia has had an article published in the journal Neuron. I know there is a fact sheet about vaccines and I understand the difficulties surrounding this area and am aware of the false hope syndrome but I was interested as this sounded new. It seems they are looking at something which would have to be used when the disease is in the very early stages. Has anyone else heard of this? I did call up the journal article but the medical language was beyond my understanding!

Izzy

 

[Norman]

Izzy
I did see something similar in our evening paper.
I am afraid I do not pay much attention to newspaper reports,as you say the false hope syndrone.
The Alzhimer's society will have the facts I'm sure
Regards
Norman

 

[thompsonsom]

Vaccine offers hope of cure for Alzheimers

Article in Daily Mirror 5/8/04

Quote

A new vaccine could be a cure for Alzheimers disease. Scientists found it gets rid of proteins on which tangle fibres grow and clog up and destroy brain cells in a similar condition in mice.
If it works in humans it will be the first treatment that stops the disease progressing - at present drugs only alleviate symptons.
Researchers led by Dr Frank LaFerla of the University of California, injected antibodies to the protein that acts as a building block for the fibres. It cleared out that protein and another one that makes up the cell-killing "neurofibrillary tangles". But it had to be given at an early stage, if given too late it only dealt with the first protein. The team are working on a combination vaccine that targets both. Dr LaFerla said "We've demonstrated removing protein clumps from the brain can indeed lead to total clearance of tangle pathology.
More than 400,000 people in the UK suffer from Alzheimers, the most comman form of dementia.

hope this helps answer your question

janice

 

[Izzy]

Thanks all. That link was helpful, Nada.

Izzy

 

[egg]

Irt was on teletext the other day that in Canada they had done research into a vaccine against AD that helped to prevent the build up of deposits in the brain - being teletext there wasn't room for any more details and that the research is published in the magazine neoron.

oh it did say doctors over here are interetsed.

egg