A vaccine that could prevent Alzheimer's disease is being worked on by University of New Mexico researchers, CBS Albuquerque affiliate KRQE-TV reported on Tuesday.
The researchers say the vaccine targets a specific protein known as tau that is commonly found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.
"These antibodies seem to have cleared [out] pathological tau,” said Ph.D student Nicole Maphis said. "Pathological tau is one of the components of these tangles that we find in the brains of patients with Alzheimers disease."
The University of New Mexico team gave maze-like tests to mice and discovered that those who had been vaccinated performed better than those who hadn’t, according to CBS.
But Kiran Bhaskar, an associate professor in the university’s health and sciences department, said the researchers are unsure of the vaccine's effects on people, as a clinical trial on humans has not yet been performed.
The team is looking for partnerships to help cover the approximate $2 million cost for testing a small group.
Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Alzheimer’s Association, with 10 percent of all those over the age of 65 suffering from Alzheimer’s dementia.
Approximately 5.8 million Americans are already living with Alzheimer’s. That number is expected to dramatically increase to some 14 million people by 2050.
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