Immunotherapy And Prevention Of Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative neurological condition that causes severe cognitive deficits. Generally, the disease occurs in adults over the age of 65, although there is a subset of individuals that have what is called early-onset Alzheimer’s where the disease occurs at a much younger age. Alzheimer’s is caused by an abnormal buildup of proteins in the brain called Taos and Plaques. These Taos and Plaques causes tearing on the neurons in the brain disrupting the neural pathways, causing the decrease in cognitive functioning. There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease although researchers are working tirelessly to delay the progression of the disease and help regain cognitive losses. One such treatment that is being used to try to reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease is immunotherapy. …show more content…
Immunotherapy is any form of treatment that uses the body's immune system to fight infection and disease. Currently there are several techniques that are being used to treat Alzheimer’s disease with immunotherapy. One such treatment is vaccinations, these vaccinations include fragments of A-beta peptide. A-beta peptides are the main components of the Plaques and and Taos involved in Alzheimer’s disease. The goal is to initiate host production of antibodies against A-beta that can potentially help clear away or prevent A-beta plaques. This technique is in the early stages of clinical trials and the effectiveness of the treatment are not yet known, although there is great hope that immunotherapy will be as effective in treating Alzheimer’s disease as it is in treating