Research and Development of Vaccines for Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia, is a degenerative neurological disease including memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior. AD is a growing concern as it appears almost exclusively in older adults. The number of cases will also increase as the number of older people rises. AD is a progressive condition, that is, the symptoms develop gradually over many years and eventually become more severe. It has not been made into a medicine to prevent or cure the disease although many studies have been conducted to overcome AD. The causes of AD are not fully understood and research continues to examine factors involved in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Pathological hallmarks of AD are plaques composed of accumulated amyloid ? peptide (A?) and neurofibrillary tangles due to the accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau protein. In this context, A? and tau are considered as causes of AD, and studies on vaccines targeting them have been carried out. This review introduces studies on research and development of vaccines targeting A? and tau.