Scientists are developing antibodies that appear to slow or even stop the onset of Alzheimer’s disease by mimicking a virus often found to infect potatoes.
Previous research with mice has shown that medications developed with amyloid beta protein can spur the body to produce an antibody labeled “A?” that slows progression of the disease and might even improve cognition. Amyloid beta is thought to play a major role in contributing to Alzheimer’s disease. The antibody appears to break down the amyloid plaques linked to Alzheimer’s.
There also have been tests on humans, but for safety reasons, those had to be stopped. Researchers believe a way to make the medication safer for humans would be to use a vaccine that is close to the human protein but not the same, much the way smallpox is battled with a cowpox virus.
Robert Friedland and his co-workers developed a protein that is found in potato virus. Then they tested the vaccine on mice with additional shots for four months. The results of the tests, which were published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, showed that the mice began developing antibodies. The mice also developed the antibody called “A?” after receiving shots with vaccine from potato leaf versus vaccine from purified sources.
Friedland pointed out that potato virus is common and offers no humans risk.
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