The future will have Alzheimer's vaccine

(A group of researchers from Laval University, CHU de Québec, and GlaxoSmithKline pharmaceutical company) have discovered a way to stimulate the brain's natural defense mechanisms in people. Alzheimer's disease.

Details of this important groundbreaking study are detailed yesterday, January 15 online on the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The study is believed to have opened a new treatment for Alzheimer's disease and the prospect of creating vaccines to prevent disease.

One of the main features of Alzheimer's disease is that the disease will produce in the brain of a toxic molecule called beta amyloid . Microglial cells, a type of cell that protects the nervous system, cannot remove this substance, thus forming aging patches.

The team led by Dr. Serge Rivest, a professor at the Faculty of Medicine at Laval University and a researcher at the CHU de Québec Research Center, identified a molecule that acts as a trigger. Prefer the activity of the immune cells of the brain. This molecule, called MPL (monophosphoryl lipid A ), has been widely used as a vaccine adjuvant for GlaxoSmithKline for many years, and its safety has been established.

In mice with Alzheimer's symptoms, regular MPL injections over weeks and lasting for 12 weeks have eliminated up to 80% of aging patches. In addition, the researchers also found that the cognitive ability of the participating mice improved significantly.

The researchers found two potential applications for MPL. MPL can be used for intramuscular injection of Alzheimer's disease to help slow the progression of the disease. It can also be incorporated into a vaccine designed to stimulate antibody production against beta amyloid."It is possible for people with Alzheimer's to use vaccines to stimulate their natural immunity," said Serge Rivest: "It can also be used as a precautionary measure for people. risk of Alzheimer's disease ".

'When our research team began studying Alzheimer's disease a decade ago, our goal was to develop better treatments for Alzheimer's patients " , - Professor Rivest explained. " With examination This newly announced break, I think we are close to the goal ".