DALLAS: A new clinical trial is underway to look at a potential vaccine that targets tau protein in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s is caused when proteins called amyloid and tau clump together in the brain – known as plaques and tangles respectively – and cause damage to cells. Current treatments for Alzheimer’s disease focus on improving the symptoms, but few are able to slow the progression of the condition.
Scientists at the Research Institute for the Care of Older People (RICE) are hoping that a new drug will act as a vaccine; targeting tau tangles in the brain to prevent their build-up potentially remove them altogether. The clinical trial will look at whether the drug is safe for people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease to use. The researchers hope that it could potentially slow or halt the progression of the condition…