USC Focuses on Prevention as They Develop Alzheimer's Vaccine

Experts are now working on an advanced vaccine that can protect humans against the accumulation of toxins that further leads to Alzheimer’s disease, a disease that is currently affecting millions of Americans, and even more worldwide.

Back in 2016, information came out that within the next few years, joint researchers from the United States may discover a groundbreaking formula that can successfully protect the brain from the proteins that can progress the disease.

More and more projected cases in the future

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), experts are already anticipating that by 2050, there could be roughly 132 million people who will develop the disease. There are researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) who are thinking of ways on how to prevent the disease years before it appears and affects a particular individual. The numbers of affected people today total at 47 million.

Alzheimer’s disease can come from genetics as it can hit families sharing the same medical histories. Dr. Lon Schneider of the Keck School of Medicine of USC is studying into whether there can be a type of medication in the form of a vaccine or a pill that can eradicate the proteins that contribute to the formation of plaques in the brain.

Experts see medication as an insufficient way to confront the rising problem. As per them, without addressing the underlying cause it can host a lot of new problems and more adverse conditions. Aside from the vaccine, they are also advocating for comprehensive lifestyle modifications. The vaccine is already regarded as a cornerstone in the treatment of the disease while it is still in the works.

Vaccine to activate human antibodies

The plan is to create a vaccine that can activate the production of antibodies in humans, which then fights off the production of amyloid. The testing site in USC is involved with developments of a vaccine or an oral medication that can repel the amyloid protein, which is responsible for forming the plaques that cause Alzheimer’s.

Furthermore, plaques and tangles disrupt the exchange of signals among nerve cells, and this advances to the death of nerve cells. However, even before the symptoms appear, people who have positive plaque scans are at risk of developing the disease anytime after that.

The developments have a lot of potentials

Scientists have already tested the vaccine in animals, and it showed no adverse response with the two species involved in the study. It has been seen that after administration, production of antibodies fighting amyloids happened, and it reacted in a way where it prevents the accumulation of the said protein-causing Alzheimer’s in the animals tested — rabbits and monkeys.

Experts are hopeful that although it can be a little critical, when tested in humans, the vaccine would still be effective and safe, which gives it the potential to prevent the onset of the disease.