If someone in your family, perhaps a beloved mother, father, grandmother or aunt, is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, we know how painful it can be. It is difficult to put into words the pain you feel as you watch your memory gradually fade and you lose your ability to recognize yourself. Although the current medications for this disease can control the symptoms to some extent, there is still no cure. However, medical science never gives up. Now, scientists around the world are researching a vaccine that can cure, control and even prevent this disease. So let's talk about this new hope today.
What vaccines can help with Alzheimer's disease?
In fact, some studies have shown that adults who receive certain vaccines for diseases such as chickenpox (for example, the shingles vaccine) and vaccines for diseases such as measles have a slightly lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. But these are not vaccines specifically targeting Alzheimer's disease.
When developing a specific vaccine for Alzheimer's disease, scientists are primarily focusing on three main changes in the brain caused by the disease. Simply put, there are three main "culprits" inside the brain of an Alzheimer's patient.
1. Tau protein tangles: These accumulate inside nerve cells in the brain.
2. Beta-amyloid plaques: These accumulate between nerve cells, that is, in the spaces between two cells.
3. Inflammation in the brain: These two culprits cause constant inflammation, or inflammation, in the brain.
The goal of every vaccine currently being developed is to control one or more of these culprits. Let's look at each type of vaccine separately.
| Vaccine type and target | The process and the impact |
|---|---|
| Vaccines that target Tau proteins | Imagine that inside the nerve cells of your brain, there is a structure like a railway system to transport nutrients back and forth. This protein called 'tau' is what keeps those 'railroad tracks' stable. In Alzheimer's disease, these tau proteins become misshapen, instead of being like tracks, they become tangled together and become like 'balls of thread'. Then the transport inside the cells stops, and the cells start to die. These vaccines try to stop this tangle. The vaccines currently in the testing phase are AADvac1 and ACI-35.030/JACI-35.054 . |
| Beta-amyloid-targeting vaccines | This is like 'garbage' or 'glue-like debris' accumulating between the nerve cells in the brain. These pieces of a protein called beta-amyloid accumulate and form deposits called 'plaques'. This prevents nerve cells from communicating properly with each other, which means they are prevented from sending 'signals'. What these vaccines do is stimulate the body's immune system to remove this 'garbage'. Vaccines like ALZ-101, ABvac40, and UB-311 belong to this category. |
| Vaccines that target brain inflammation | In a healthy brain, there are special cells called microglia. They are like the brain's 'cleaning crew'. Their job is to remove unwanted waste and toxins. But in Alzheimer's disease, these workers go haywire. Instead of removing waste, they produce harmful chemicals that cause constant inflammation in the brain. This also damages healthy nerve cells. These vaccines try to restore this 'messy cleaning system'. GV1001 and Protollin are two of these experimental vaccines. |
So, when will we get an Alzheimer's vaccine?
This is the biggest question on everyone's mind. To be honest, this will take some time. All of these vaccines we've talked about are still in the clinical trials stage. That means they are still being tested to see if they are safe to give to people and how effective they are.
The most important thing is that if this research is successful, Alzheimer's disease may become preventable or even treatable in the early stages in the future.
According to current information, among the vaccines mentioned above, the GV1001 vaccine is somewhat ahead in clinical trials. However, none of these are final results yet.
What do we do until then?
It's good to have hope for this new vaccine. But until then, if you or someone in your family is suffering from this disease, the best thing to do is to follow the treatment currently recommended by your doctor.
Current medications, such as Aducanumab and Lecanemab, have been shown to slow the progression of the disease to some extent if detected early. Therefore, it is essential to stay in regular contact with your doctor and follow his or her instructions.
If you are interested in participating in a clinical trial like this, you can also talk to your doctor about it. He or she will be able to provide you with accurate guidance on whether there is a suitable opportunity for you and whether you are suitable for it.
Take-Home Message
- Alzheimer's disease is a condition caused by complex changes in the brain (tau protein tangles, beta-amyloid deposits, inflammation).
- Scientists are working hard to develop vaccines that can target these changes and prevent, cure, or control the disease.
- Since these vaccines are still in the research stage, it will take some time for them to become widely available.
- The best thing to do at this time is to continue the treatment recommended by your doctor and follow his instructions.
- When a vaccine is successfully developed in the future, your medical team will inform you about it.
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