Immunotherapy for Alzheimer's disease

The utility of vaccine strategies to treat neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) may still hold promise. Both active and passive immunization strategies reduced AD-like pathology and restored cognitive deficits in transgenic mice. These results were initially met with considerable optimism; however, phase IIa clinical trials were halted because of a small but significant occurrence of meningoencephalitis. Knowledge gained from studies on amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta) immunotherapy will allow optimization of new-generation vaccines, targeting highly specific epitopes while reducing undesired side effects. In harnessing and steering the immune system, an effective response can be generated against Abeta. If this proves successful, Abeta vaccination could provide the first definitive treatment for AD.