Test on new Alzheimer’s vaccine produces no side effects

Gothenburg, Sweden (4E) – A test on a new Alzheimer’s vaccine showed that it produces antibodies against brain cell-killing proteins without causing any side effects on patients, according to Swedish researchers.

The promising result of the three-year retrial of CAD106 on volunteer patients is contained in a study conducted by scientists at the Karolinska Institutet that was published Wednesday in the scientific journal Lancet Neurology. Professor Bengt Winblad of the institute’s Alzheimer’s Center in Huddinge led the study that also involved scientists from the research network Swedish Brain Power.

The CAD106 works by stimulating the immune system to produce antibodies specifically against beta-amyloid, which is known to accumulate and form plaques that choke brain cells to death. Without causing side effects, the vaccine showed promise as a potential cure for Alzheimer’s disease, the main symptom of which is loss of memory.

Ten years ago, a test on another Alzheimer’s vaccine caused encephalitis on patients because the white blood cells it activated also targeted non-harmful beta-amyloids.

The scientists at the Karolinska Institutet is now planning to conduct a larger trial for CAD106 to confirm its efficacy.

 

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