Alzheimer’s vaccine trial a success say researchers

Alzheimer's vaccine trial a huge success, say researchers.

Scientists in Sweden have developed a vaccine that improves the outcomes of people with mild to moderate symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

The vaccine works on what is called the amyloid precursor protein, which is concentrated in the synapses of neurons.

The protein can form harmful substances on the nerve cells called beta-amyloid, which eventually works to kill brain cells, reported QMI.

The research done at the Karolinska Institute found that the vaccine, CAD106, helped 80 percent of patients develop protective antibodies against beta-amyloid with no side-effects, said AFP. 

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The study was done over three years.

The researchers say they now plan to do larger clinical studies to see if they get the same results, noted a press released in Science Daily.

The AFP reported that researchers have previously attempted to protect patients against beta-amyloid with another vaccine but had to stop the study as many fell ill with meningoencephalitis, an inflammation of the brain.

Alzheimer's is a neurological dementia disease that is still little understood by scientists.

The new study was published in the Lancet Neurology.