Immunotherapy for Alzheimer's disease

Immunotherapy
Michael Steinitz

Abstract

Patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) express severe cognitive deficiencies with a concurrent increase in brain deposits of aggregated amyloid-beta (Abeta), a catabolic derivative of the ubiquitous amyloid precursor protein (APP). Interference in the homeostasis of Abeta has been suggested as a treatment for AD patients. In AD murine models it has been shown that active and passive immunization against Abeta alters the equilibrium of the different forms of Abeta in brain and serum, leading to a concomitant cognitive improvement. Generally, the clinical trials that followed the study of the murine AD model confirmed the results of the AD models, although safety issues advocate the passive vaccination approach rather than the active one. However, passive vaccination of patients with monoclonal antibodies derived from nonhuman sources is limited. Anti-Abeta IgM and IgG antibodies, which are present in the serum of every healthy individual and probably play a role in the homeostasis of Abeta in healthy subjects, might be beneficial to AD patients, as shown for the effect exerted by the commercial preparation of intravenous immunoglobulin. Human monoclonal anti-Abeta antibodies, which correspond to the ubiquitous anti-Abeta antibod...Continue Reading

References

Dec 13, 1984·Nature·G L BoulianneM J Shulman
Apr 15, 1995·Lancet·T WisniewskiB Frangione
Apr 15, 1997·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·B SolomonE Hanan-Aharon
Mar 18, 1999·Journal of Clinical Immunology·S Lacroix-DesmazesM E Weksler
Feb 24, 2001·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·C A LemereD J Selkoe
Jul 5, 2001·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·R B DeMattosD M Holtzman
Jan 31, 2002·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Brian O'Nuallain, Ronald Wetzel
Dec 25, 2002·The Journal of Biological Chemistry·W Blaine StineMary Jo LaDu
Aug 5, 2003·The Journal of Clinical Investigation·Alon MonsonegoHoward L Weiner
Jul 16, 2004·The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience·Einar M SigurdssonThomas Wisniewski
Aug 18, 2004·Neurobiology of Aging·Timothy J SeabrookCynthia A Lemere
Sep 29, 2004·Neuron·Dominic M Walsh, Dennis J Selkoe
Dec 21, 2004·Nature Neuroscience·James P ClearyKaren H Ashe
Dec 22, 2004·Nature Immunology·Eric Vivier, Bernard Malissen
Feb 15, 2005·Neurobiology of Aging·Valeria GeylisMichael Steinitz
Jul 6, 2005·Nature·Myrna Watanabe
Aug 27, 2005·Nature·Robert J Zatorre
Sep 1, 2005·Annals of Neurology·Michael LeePeter Seubert

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Methods Mentioned

BETA
ELISA

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Alzheimer's Disease: APP

Amyloid precursor protein (APP) proteolysis is critical for the development of Alzheimer's disease, a neurodegenerative disease associated with accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain. Here is the latest research on APP and Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's Disease: Amyloid Beta

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease associated with the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain; these plaques are comprised of amyloid beta deposits. Here is the latest research in this field.