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Vaccine for Alzheimers

Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2021 6:12 pm
by Gentleman Jim
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-021-01385-7

Comments from those knowledgeable?

Re: Vaccine for Alzheimers

Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2021 12:55 pm
by nezumi
Not knowledgeable at all but reading through the paper the whole thing seems to turn on a hypothesis, the "amyloid cascade hypothesis". I don't know how much there is behind this hypothesis but it strikes me that the amyloids may be a symptom rather than a cause. Obviously I don't know how well developed the science is but I'd be very wary of treating this like it could be a magic bullet for Alzheimers prevention. We don't know, as far as I can tell, if these proteins have a useful purpose in the brain so preventing them forming may be disastrous.

Since it's clearly a brand-new discovery I'm treating it with cautious optimism but with a heavy dose of "it'll probably turn out to be a bad plan in 10 years time".

I'd certainly like to know more aout the science so hopefully someone with actual knowledge will turn up in a bit.

Re: Vaccine for Alzheimers

Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2021 7:40 pm
by TAFKAsoveda
nezumi wrote:
Sun Nov 28, 2021 12:55 pm
Not knowledgeable at all but reading through the paper the whole thing seems to turn on a hypothesis, the "amyloid cascade hypothesis". I don't know how much there is behind this hypothesis but it strikes me that the amyloids may be a symptom rather than a cause. Obviously I don't know how well developed the science is but I'd be very wary of treating this like it could be a magic bullet for Alzheimers prevention. We don't know, as far as I can tell, if these proteins have a useful purpose in the brain so preventing them forming may be disastrous.

Since it's clearly a brand-new discovery I'm treating it with cautious optimism but with a heavy dose of "it'll probably turn out to be a bad plan in 10 years time".

I'd certainly like to know more aout the science so hopefully someone with actual knowledge will turn up in a bit.
So far the therapies that have been targeted directly at amyloid have not been successful. Perhaps because by the time dementia is obvious enough to diagnose the brain has already been damaged.

Really interesting to watch but as far as I can see we will only know if it is good or bad in a decade or so because of the lag in being able to assess prevention in such a chronic disease.

Re: Vaccine for Alzheimers

Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2021 7:42 pm
by bjn
I thought most of the previously attempted Alzheimer’s treatments focused on reduction of amyloid plaques. While they reduced plaques they had marginal impact on the symptoms.

Dammit ninjad.

Re: Vaccine for Alzheimers

Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2021 7:50 pm
by TAFKAsoveda
bjn wrote:
Sun Nov 28, 2021 7:42 pm
I thought most of the previously attempted Alzheimer’s treatments focused on reduction of amyloid plaques. While they reduced plaques they had marginal impact on the symptoms.
Yes indeed, that’s why monoclonals in established dementia do not seem to work. This is clearly trying a different tack but identifying how much impact a vaccine has is going to take quite a power calculation!

We can’t reliably identify who is at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s dementia before they develop symptoms in general (there are some exceptions with particular genetic markers but given that approx 75% of people with dementia have Alzheimer’s changes there appear to be quite a number of people we can’t identify). So unless the impact is massive it will take some very fine analysis! I really hope there is something to it, Alzheimer’s Dementia is horrible.
[pessimistic] Mind you we will probably then see a greater amount of vascular dementia instead. [/pessimistic]

Re: Vaccine for Alzheimers

Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2021 12:20 pm
by Gentleman Jim
Re vascular dementia, sadly I agree since that is what affected my mother, following several years of intermittent TIA's and finally a massive stroke.
Apart from the dementia, one of the most frustrating things was A&E doctors - "She has no loss of control over her limbs, therefore she hasn't had a stroke". Even though he scans AT THE SAME HOSPITAL showed that the bleeds were in her speech area, and typical symptom was loss of coherent speech

Re: Vaccine for Alzheimers

Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2021 12:41 pm
by TAFKAsoveda
Gentleman Jim wrote:
Mon Nov 29, 2021 12:20 pm
Re vascular dementia, sadly I agree since that is what affected my mother, following several years of intermittent TIA's and finally a massive stroke.
Apart from the dementia, one of the most frustrating things was A&E doctors - "She has no loss of control over her limbs, therefore she hasn't had a stroke". Even though he scans AT THE SAME HOSPITAL showed that the bleeds were in her speech area, and typical symptom was loss of coherent speech
I am sorry to hear that, not surprised mind you.
I regularly rant about “normal” CT scans which show significant chronic vascular insufficiency, not to mention the scans which actually have the evidence reported but people and their families are told there is nothing wrong because obviously only large territory infarcts/bleeds/tumours count as “something”.

Sorry I am ranting but I get very het up about the poor care older (and younger) people get when there is even a sniff of possible dementia.

Re: Vaccine for Alzheimers

Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2021 4:22 pm
by JackWhite1
Eh, that's just theory and possibility. Probably we will have something that can cure in the future but I very doubt that we will get it for in 20 years for example. Only talks but nothing real to be honest