Australian scientists produce promising results on Alzheimer's vaccine development

Scientists at Sydney University's Brain and Mind Research Institute (BMRI) have successfully developed a vaccine that slows the progression of Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia, the university said on Friday. The vaccine, which targets a protein known as tau, prevents the ongoing formation of neurofibrillary tangles in the brain of a mouse with Alzheimer's disease. Researchers at BMRI published their study in the scientific journal PLoS ONE on Friday. The study found the vaccine tested in mice with Alzheimer's disease had a preventative effect on slowing the development of further neuro-fibre tangling. "Our study is the first to show that a vaccine targeting the tau protein can be effective once the disease has already set in," lead researcher Lars Ittner said. "The vaccine appears to have a preventative effect: slowing the development of further tangles, rather than clearing existing ones, but the exact mechanism involved is not yet understood," he said. Ittner and his team are working with the U.S. pharmaceutical industry to develop this new vaccine for humans. "Although we have a long way to go before the vaccine might be available for human use, these early results are very promising and a great reward for the countless hours spent in the lab by me and my team," he said. The progressive neurodegenerative disease affects more than 35 million people worldwide, including 269,000 Australians.