It is estimated that 46.8 million people worldwide are living with dementia, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common form.
Now researchers from the University have discovered a possible solution for side effects seen in immunotherapy treatment for Alzheimer’s.
Immunotherapy is a promising strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer’s that uses antibodies to stimulate the immune system to remove pieces of a protein called amyloid beta which accumulates in the brain (in deposits known as plaques) and is thought to be a major factor driving Alzheimer’s neurodegenerative effects.
The multidisciplinary Southampton team, led by Dr Jessica Teeling, and in collaboration with Lundbeck (a multinational pharmaceutical company based in Denmark), engineered three antibodies to change the way they engage cells in the immune system. They found that small but precise changes in the anti-amyloid antibodies preserved the immunotherapeutic activity without the inflammatory side effects.
Dr Teeling, Associate Professor in Immunology at The Centre for Biological Sciences, said:
“New antibodies are entering the clinic for Alzheimer’s disease; therefore, it is important to learn all we can from research into these novel interventions and use antibody engineering technology to optimise their effects.”
Read the full press release here.