Alzheimer's vaccine: Nasal spray trial shows promise, researchers say
CTV
A nasal Alzheimer's vaccine developed in the U.S. is showing early positive results, according to researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston are testing an Alzheimer's vaccine on people.
The nasally administered vaccine, called Protollin, is being tested on a group of 16 people with early Alzheimer's disease, between the ages of 60 to 85 years.
Alzheimer's is a cognitive disease that impairs a memory, thought, and language. It is the most common type of dementia. In 2020, 569,600 Canadians were living with dementia.
"This (vaccine) is using some proteins to stimulate the body's own immune cells to clear away the beta-amyloid, which is really the problematic protein in Alzheimer's disease," Dr. Tanuja Chitnis, a neurologist with Brigham and Women’s Hospital, told CTV's Your Morning on Friday.
Amyloid is a protein that builds up in organs and can affect the heart, kidneys, liver, and nervous system.
The vaccine is showing positive results, but more testing is needed to understand dosages and any implications.
"We found that this drug is safe and well-tolerated," Chitnis said. "We're currently working on immunological studies to prove that the vaccine works in the way that we think it does."
