Tailoring the antibody response to aggregated Aß using novel Alzheimer-vaccines

PLoS One. 2015 Jan 22;10(1):e0115237. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115237. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Recent evidence suggests Alzheimer-Disease (AD) to be driven by aggregated Aß. Capitalizing on the mechanism of molecular mimicry and applying several selection layers, we screened peptide libraries for moieties inducing antibodies selectively reacting with Aß-aggregates. The technology identified a pool of peptide candidates; two, AFFITOPES AD01 and AD02, were assessed as vaccination antigens and compared to Aβ1-6, the targeted epitope. When conjugated to Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (KLH) and adjuvanted with aluminum, all three peptides induced Aß-targeting antibodies (Abs). In contrast to Aß1-6, AD01- or AD02-induced Abs were characterized by selectivity for aggregated forms of Aß and absence of reactivity with related molecules such as Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP)/ secreted APP-alpha (sAPPa). Administration of AFFITOPE-vaccines to APP-transgenic mice was found to reduce their cerebral amyloid burden, the associated neuropathological alterations and to improve their cognitive functions. Thus, the AFFITOME-technology delivers vaccines capable of inducing a distinct Ab response. Their features may be beneficial to AD-patients, a hypothesis currently tested within a phase-II-study.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / immunology
  • Alzheimer Disease / therapy*
  • Alzheimer Vaccines / immunology
  • Alzheimer Vaccines / therapeutic use*
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / immunology*
  • Animals
  • Antibodies / immunology*
  • Female
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Peptide Library

Substances

  • Alzheimer Vaccines
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides
  • Antibodies
  • Peptide Library

Grants and funding

AFFiRiS AG (www.affiris.com), Vienna, and Austrian Science promotion agency (www.ffg.at; Grant numbers: 807619, 809649 and 811169) provided the study funding. FFG-Funding was provided for MM, RS and PG. AFFiRiS Funding was provided to employees (MM, RS, PG, AS, FM and WS). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.