NYU Langone Medical Center's tip sheet to the International Conference on Alzheimer's Di...(R Early Phases of Creating a Vaccin...)

Early Phases of Creating a Vaccine against Prion Disease
Thomas Wisniewski, MD, Department of Pathology at NYU Langone Medical Center
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL TUESDAY, July 29, 2008 at 11:30 a.m. CT

In an animal study, NYU researchers bolstered immunity against a toxic and infectious version of the prion protein, which causes a group of brain diseases, including mad cow's disease. By injecting a safe, reconfigured form of the protein into the body cavity of mice, in addition to orally delivering a neutral bacterial booster, animals could produce more antibodies against the prion protein in the mouth and blood system, preventing access of the infectious prions to the brain. The inoculated mice remained symptom free for 400 days after exposure to infectious prion, while their brains were free from the disease causing protein. The finding has the potential to safely curb prion diseases, such as chronic wasting disease and variant Creutzfeld-Jacob disease, which are thought to be spread by oral exposure to prion.
Presentation # S3-01-04

Tau Immunotherapy Prevents Cognitive Decline in an Alzheimer's Mouse Model
Einar M. Sigurdsson, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Pathology, NYU Langone Medical Center
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2008 at 3:45 p.m. CT

NYU researchers have successfully prevented the cognitive decline of mice by employing a vaccine that targets tangles of tau, a type of protein associated with Alzheimer's disease. Tests confirmed that the immunotherapy helped preserve cognition as well as reduced tau protein tangles in the brain. The findings support the possibility of an immunotherapy that treats Alzheimer's disease by directly targeting toxic forms of the tau protein.
Presentation # O4-04-04

Enzyme inhibition modulates Alzheimer's pathology in mice
Jose Morales-Corraliza, Ph.D, NYU Langone Med
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