http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101008171843.htm
ScienceDaily (Oct. 8, 2010) — Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have created an experimental vaccine against beta-amyloid, the small protein that forms plaques in the brain and is believed to contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease.
Compared with similar so-called DNA vaccines that the UT Southwestern researchers tested in an animal study, the new experimental vaccine stimulated more than 10 times as many antibodies that bind to and eliminate beta-amyloid. The results appeared in the journal Vaccine.
Future studies will focus on determining the safety of the vaccine and whether it protects mental function in animals, said Dr. Roger Rosenberg, director of the Alzheimer's Disease Center at UT Southwestern and senior author of the study.
"The antibody is specific; it binds to plaque in the brain. It doesn't bind to brain tissue that does not contain plaque," Dr. Rosenberg said. "This approach shows promise in generating enough antibodies to be useful clinically in treating patients."
A traditional vaccine -- an injection of beta-amyloid protein itself into the arm -- has been shown in other research to trigger an immune response, including the production of antibodies and other bodily defenses against beta-amyloid. However, the immune response to this type of vaccine sometimes caused significant brain swelling, so Dr. Rosenberg and his colleagues focused on developing a nontraditional DNA vaccine.
The DNA vaccine does not contain beta-amyloid itself but instead a piece of the beta-amyloid gene that codes for the protein. In the current study, the researchers coated tiny gold beads with the beta-amyloid DNA and injected them into the skin of the animals' ears. Once in the body, the DNA stimulated an immune response, including antibodies to beta-amyloid.
The next step in the research is to test long-term safety in animals, Dr. Rosenberg said.
"After seven years developing this vaccine, we are hopeful it will not show any significant toxicity, and that we will be able to develop it for human use," he said.
Other UT Southwestern neurology researchers involved in the study were Dr. Bao-Xi Qu, assistant professor; Dr. Doris Lambracht-Washington, research scientist; Min Fu, research associate; Dr. Todd Eagar, assistant professor; and Dr. Olaf Stüve, associate professor.
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, The Rudman Foundation and the Alzheimer's Association.
Editor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by UT Southwestern Medical Center, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Journal Reference:
1. Bao-Xi Qu, Doris Lambracht-Washington, Min Fu, Todd N. Eagar, Olaf Stüve, Roger N. Rosenberg. Analysis of three plasmid systems for use in DNA Aβ42 immunization as therapy for Alzheimer's disease. Vaccine, 2010; 28 (32): 5280 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.05.054
MLA
UT Southwestern Medical Center (2010, October
. Researchers create experimental vaccine against Alzheimer's. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 24, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2010/10/101008171843.htm
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ScienceDaily (Oct. 8, 2010) — Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have created an experimental vaccine against beta-amyloid, the small protein that forms plaques in the brain and is believed to contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease.
Compared with similar so-called DNA vaccines that the UT Southwestern researchers tested in an animal study, the new experimental vaccine stimulated more than 10 times as many antibodies that bind to and eliminate beta-amyloid. The results appeared in the journal Vaccine.
Future studies will focus on determining the safety of the vaccine and whether it protects mental function in animals, said Dr. Roger Rosenberg, director of the Alzheimer's Disease Center at UT Southwestern and senior author of the study.
"The antibody is specific; it binds to plaque in the brain. It doesn't bind to brain tissue that does not contain plaque," Dr. Rosenberg said. "This approach shows promise in generating enough antibodies to be useful clinically in treating patients."
A traditional vaccine -- an injection of beta-amyloid protein itself into the arm -- has been shown in other research to trigger an immune response, including the production of antibodies and other bodily defenses against beta-amyloid. However, the immune response to this type of vaccine sometimes caused significant brain swelling, so Dr. Rosenberg and his colleagues focused on developing a nontraditional DNA vaccine.
The DNA vaccine does not contain beta-amyloid itself but instead a piece of the beta-amyloid gene that codes for the protein. In the current study, the researchers coated tiny gold beads with the beta-amyloid DNA and injected them into the skin of the animals' ears. Once in the body, the DNA stimulated an immune response, including antibodies to beta-amyloid.
The next step in the research is to test long-term safety in animals, Dr. Rosenberg said.
"After seven years developing this vaccine, we are hopeful it will not show any significant toxicity, and that we will be able to develop it for human use," he said.
Other UT Southwestern neurology researchers involved in the study were Dr. Bao-Xi Qu, assistant professor; Dr. Doris Lambracht-Washington, research scientist; Min Fu, research associate; Dr. Todd Eagar, assistant professor; and Dr. Olaf Stüve, associate professor.
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, The Rudman Foundation and the Alzheimer's Association.
Editor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by UT Southwestern Medical Center, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Journal Reference:
1. Bao-Xi Qu, Doris Lambracht-Washington, Min Fu, Todd N. Eagar, Olaf Stüve, Roger N. Rosenberg. Analysis of three plasmid systems for use in DNA Aβ42 immunization as therapy for Alzheimer's disease. Vaccine, 2010; 28 (32): 5280 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.05.054
MLA
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. Researchers create experimental vaccine against Alzheimer's. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 24, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2010/10/101008171843.htmRelated Stories
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Protective Role For Copper In Alzheimer’s Disease (Oct. 13, 2009) — New research has shown that there could be a protective role for copper in Alzheimer’s ... > read more
Amyloid Beta Protein Gets Bum Rap (Nov. 10, 2009) — While too much amyloid beta protein in the brain is linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease, not enough of the protein in healthy brains can cause learning problems and forgetfulness, ... > read more
Alzheimer's Vaccine Clears Plaque But Has Little Effect On Learning And Memory Impairment (Apr. 5, 2008) — A promising vaccine being tested for Alzheimer's disease does what it is designed to do -- clear beta-amyloid plaques from the brain -- but it does not seem to help restore lost learning and memory ... > read more
slightly off topic, but no wonder they think we need a vaccine, chilling facts and figures,
