Quick Hits: Dementia Vaccine Approaches Human Trials

A recent New Atlas article discussed a new development in the fight against neurodegenerative disease that could become the “breakthrough of the next decade.” A newly published study from the Institute for Molecular Medicine and University of California, Irvine described a new vaccine’s ability to generate antibodies that prevent and remove amyloid and tau proteins in the brain. These proteins are believed to be the main pathological cause of neurodegeneration linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

Similar vaccines have focused on either amyloid or tau protein reductions. However, evidence has mounted suggesting a synergistic relationship between the two toxic proteins, which led to the development of the new vaccine, called Advax. The vaccine is on track for human trials within two years.