London: Vaccines need to be given to sufferers in the very early stages of Alzheimer’s to stop it, scientists say.
They believe that by giving vaccines to patients before tell-tale signs set in could halt the terrible toll of dementia.
Preventing it from taking hold could one day, even pave the way for the disease to be wiped out completely.
Now the huge challenge scientists are facing, is to create an effective vaccine to slow down the progress of the disease.
This study adds to increasing evidence suggesting that an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease will need to be given early.
The latest tests, in the US, found vaccines can help patients with lower levels of the toxic amyloid protein which builds up in Alzheimer’s sufferers, destroying the vital links between brain cells, the Daily Express reported.
Experts at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington DC used mice to test vaccines, which are already being administered in human trials.
Their study is the first to show that mice with large amounts of amyloid protein in the brain were much more likely to experience significant brain inflammation.
In contrast, mice with less amyloid did not have this side effect, and showed a significant benefit from the vaccine.
The findings were significant as they suggested that benefits from the vaccine will most likely be found in those with a lower level of amyloid proteins.
The study was presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience.
ANI
