Alzheimer's vaccine trial a success

[Gahars]

Imagine that one day, you wake without any memory of your friends and family. The people you've come to know and love all your life are gone, with strangers now standing in their place. Little by little, you begin to lose more and more of your memories and, ultimately, yourself until there is nothing left but a hollow shell.

So yeah, Alzheimer's disease isn't too fun (Webster's dictionary actually accepts it as a synonym for the phrase "not fun". True fact.). Researchers have devoted a lot of time and money towards fighting the ailment, but they haven't had all that much to show for it.

Well, until now, that is.

[NEWS 6 June] A study led by Karolinska Institutet reports for the first time the positive effects of an active vaccine against Alzheimer's disease. The new vaccine, CAD106, can prove a breakthrough in the search for a cure for this seriously debilitating dementia disease. The study is published in the distinguished scientific journal Lancet Neurology.


Alzheimer's disease is a complex neurological dementia disease that is the cause of much human suffering and a great cost to society. According to the World Health Organisation, dementia is the fastest growing global health epidemic of our age. The prevailing hypothesis about its cause involves APP (amyloid precursor protein), a protein that resides in the outer membrane of nerve cells and that, instead of being broken down, form a harmful substance called beta-amyloid, which accumulates as plaques and kills brain cells.

...The new treatment, which is presented in Lancet Neurology, involves active immunisation, using a type of vaccine designed to trigger the body's immune defence against beta-amyloid. In this second clinical trial on humans, the vaccine was modified to affect only the harmful beta-amyloid. The researchers found that 80 per cent of the patients involved in the trials developed their own protective antibodies against beta-amyloid without suffering any side-effects over the three years of the study. The researchers believe that this suggests that the CAD106 vaccine is a tolerable treatment for patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's. Larger trials must now be conducted to confirm the CAD106 vaccine's efficacy.

Karolinksa Institutet

Of course there is still a lot of work that has to be done until we're anywhere near finding a way to eradicate the disease. It's an important breakthrough nonetheless, and could eventually lead to an effective treatment. Plus, it looks like enhanced Apes won't have to be involved. That's a plus for us!

There may come a time when people will no longer remember the pain and heartbreak of Alzheimer's disease; you could say it will be getting a taste of its own medicine.

 

[shakirmoledina]

wonderful news as this is a disease/disorder in which u feel u can solve it but u cannot. everything seems fine yet it is not. i really hope ppl get absolved from this issue.

also gahars u are really expressive person

 

[Janthran]

Imagine that one day, you wake without any memory of your friends and family. The people you've come to know and love all your life are gone, with strangers now standing in their place. Little by little, you begin to lose more and more of your memories and, ultimately, yourself until there is nothing left but a hollow shell.

Somehow I don't think I would care too much, you know what I mean?

 

[machomuu]

That's amazing, I truly hope something great comes out of this. It wasn't until recently that I truly saw the effects of Alzheimer's, and I certainly say that it's pretty frightening, so I can't express how great this development may become.

 

[Sora de Eclaune]

Wow, this is an amazing thing. I don't know what else to even say about it it's so amazing!

 

[Midna]

>Already in human trials
Fuck yeah, this might enter the mass market before I'm old

 

[Skelletonike]

This is a terrible disease, not only for the person that suffers from it, but for the relatives and loved ones of that person as well, I really hope it works out, this is a disease that really needs a cure.

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

As some one who has witnessed first hand what the disease does to a person multiple times (Used to work as a nurse.) this disease terrifies me... The one patient was a professor and spoke fluent Latin. She would start speaking in Latin in the later stages and it was creepy, she died from the illness eventually but even near the end I could tell she had a fantastic intellect in her prime. It is sad that the disease seems to favor the more intellectually active of us

 

[ZAFDeltaForce]

I hope this reaches the market soon, a lot of patients will benefit from this

 

[Rydian]

Giving that this hasn't been seen to actually perform anything against the disease specifically, I'd say the celebrations might be jumping the gun.

 

[Phoenix Goddess]

Giving that this hasn't been seen to actually perform anything against the disease specifically, I'd say the celebrations might be jumping the gun.

There's always the party pooper

 

[Gahars]

Giving that this hasn't been seen to actually perform anything against the disease specifically, I'd say the celebrations might be jumping the gun.

Obviously there's a lot of work left to be done, and it will be some time for this research to pan out (if it does end up panning out), but still; this is an encouraging sign that we are getting closer to an effective treatment, and that the cause isn't hopeless. Good news is always worth celebrating.

To put it another way, we haven't blown up the Death Star yet, but it looks like we might have just exposed the exhaust port. It's progress, and there's no getting to the celebrations on Yavin 4 without it.

 

[zazilu]

Sadly in our world (almost) everything has a price tag... and the profit from diseases is huge... Great news... I hope this works and be available for all those that needs it!

 

[Thesolcity]

What I'd give to have cured my gramps of it. Alzheimer's can (and did) go beyond human memory and he went on forgetting basic bodily functions until he finally forgot how to breath. Its one of those things nothing but experience with someone who has it can grant you the true horror this disease can make. Its a very, very terrifying thing for both parties involved. To see a cure in the works even in this cycle of development is a miracle and I can't help but be overly-optimistic.

 

[squall23]

Charles Kao, the father of Fiber Optics won a nobel prize. But when he was announced to win a nobel prize, he couldn't remember what he won it for due to alzheimer.

 

[philip11]

This is very good to hear my Grandmother has Alzheimer's it's literally like watching her fade away. but about 2 years ago now she barely talked then and when she was well she was a VERY good cook and so someone asked her if she could cook and she said quickly and LOUDLY "Of course I can!", and I can't stand it knowing there's next to nothing we can do to stop this or slow it down but hopefully for other people this can help it. and by the way there's nothing you can do to recover the memory it's gone it you formatted a HDD then Anything on it is gone the same as it is with Alzheimer's.

 

[The Milkman]

That's pretty good to hear. Too bad in all honesty most people who suffer from it wont be around to see the cure. Still, it wont be a worry to the other generations.

 

[mrfatso]

This is great news, huzzah, my grandma shall have hope!!

 

[spotanjo3]

If my grandma was alive with Alzheimer at 85 years old then she would be alive with this vaccine for 5 years lifespan added to her, sighing. Too late for those people who died of Alzheimer. Really sad.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

My grandma has Alzheimer's currently and it's just a long slope. I mean she had her issues before it hit, she was always rather antisocial and already alienated a lot of people in her life. The Alzheimer's hasn't helped. But she used to be a pretty swell and interesting person a long time ago and a lot of her positive traits were taken away by the Alzheimer's. It's a shame really, many people face dying so slowly and painfully because of this.

But this vaccine could eliminate one of the biggest issues for the elderly. Considering how much it drains physically, emotionally, and financially from everyone, having this developed in the next couple of years is a huge step forward.