Alzheimer's Vaccine Could Cut Dementia in Half, Human Trials May Be Next

In a mice study published in Alzheimer's Research & Therapy , researchers at the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center found an experimental vaccine designed to hold off Alzheimer's had promising results, reports USA Today . UT Southwestern Professor Doris Lambracht-Washington said the vaccine could potentially extend lives by preventing Alzheimer's development. Testing in mice revealed that the vaccine safely prevents the accumulation of substances in the brain associated with Alzheimer's, and it could reduce the number of dementia diagnoses by 50 percent if the vaccine proves safe and effective in human trials. "If the onset of the disease could be delayed by even five years, that would be enormous for people with Alzheimer's and their families," said Lambracht-Washington. "The number of dementia cases could drop by half." The vaccine operates by prompting the body to generate antibodies inhibiting the buildup of the amyloid and tau proteins.