Open AccessImmunological and Anti‐Chaperone Therapeutic Approaches for Alzheimer Disease
Author(s) -
Wisniewski Thomas,
Frangione Blas
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
brain pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.986
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1750-3639
pISSN - 1015-6305
DOI - 10.1111/j.1750-3639.2005.tb00102.x
Subject(s) - disease , toxicity , medicine , immune system , alzheimer's disease , dementia , therapeutic approach , pathological , immunology , clinical trial , neuroscience , bioinformatics , biology , pathology
Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia. Currently available therapies only provide symptomatic relief. A number of therapeutic approaches are under development that aim to increase the clearance of brain Aβ peptides. These include immune mediated clearance of Aβ and the inhibition of the interaction between Aβ and its pathological chaperones. Both active and passive immunization has been shown to have robust effects in transgenic mouse models of AD on amyloid reduction and behavioral improvements. However, a human trial of active immunization has been associated with significant toxicity in a minority of patients. New generation vaccines are being developed which likely will reduce the potential for cell‐mediated toxicity. In addition, the recent development of anti‐chaperone therapy opens a new therapeutic avenue which is unlikely to be associated with toxicity.