Dementia Vaccines

Dementia is a variety of disorders that change the way the brain works, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. They can affect one’s behavior, memory, and ability to perform regular actions, such as speaking and walking. For this reason, the deterioration of the brain that dementia causes is very damaging to a person’s life and livelihood. Over 55 million people yearly are affected by dementia, with deaths as a result of it having doubled over the last 10 years.

A person with dementia cannot be cured, and few preventative measures can be taken - as of now. Researchers across the world are now looking into protecting people from dementia through a vaccine. Evidence has recently been uncovered as to how activating the immune system (such as in getting a flu or pneumonia vaccine) could possibly slow down the progression of nerve degeneration.

Potential dementia vaccines could work by generating an immune response to compounds/molecules in the body that are associated with dementia. Beta-amyloid proteins, for example, are associated with Alzheimer’s disease when they form toxic plaques in the brain. A large accumulation of alpha-synuclein, another protein, is also connected with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia when large amounts of it accumulate in the brain. A dementia vaccine can have a pivotal impact, since proteins like these are responsible for the destruction of neurons that lead to the deterioration of cognitive functions that a person needs to survive.

Vaccines are already in various stages of development, and clinical trials are occurring to assess their safety and ultimate effectiveness. However, it will be a while before they are available to the public - research in larger and more diverse human populations is key to ensuring an effective vaccine for everyone.