A new vaccine that could treat Alzheimer's disease by removing "tangles" in the brain is now in its clinical trial phase in England, according to The Sunday Express. The vaccine, called ACI-35, is developed by researchers from the Research Institute for the Care of Older People (RICE).
Most treatments focus on removing amyloid plaques that build up in the brain, which leads to the disease. However, this may be of benefit only during the early stages of Alzheimer's.
The new vaccine presents a different approach in the treatment of Alzheimer's by attacking the buildup of tau tangles, which are more associated with memory loss.
"So far, most clinical trials have focused on amyloid protein, which can be responsible for brain cell death and some Alzheimer's disease symptoms, but this potential drug is targeted at tau protein tangles, that may be linked with memory loss," James Pickett, who heads research at Alzheimer's Society, said in a news release.
Tau tangles prevent nutrients from being delivered to brain cells, which eventually leads to the death of the cells, causing memory loss. The vaccine targets these tangles in order to stop or delay the progression of Alzheimer's.
RICE director Roy Jones said the trial "opens the way to a completely different and hopefully much more effective vaccine." He added, however, that the research is in its "early days," the Daily Mail reported.
The clinical trial is investigating whether the vaccine is safe for humans.
'With an ageing population and no new dementia drugs in over a decade, the need to find new treatments is more urgent than ever," Pickett said. "We need more people to come forward to get involved with scientific studies."
The trial is being conducted in Bath, St. George's Hospital, Royal Liverpool University Hospital and Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. The tests will end in June.
