부산대학교 도서관

In the last decade, new therapeutic approaches targeting ββ-amyloid (Aββ) have been discovered and developed with the hope of modifying the natural history of Alzheimer'âs disease (AD). The most revolutionary of these approaches consists in the removal of brain Aββ via anti-Aββ antibodies. After an active vaccine (AN1792) was discontinued in 2002 due to occurrence of meningoencephalitis in approximately 6% of patients, several other second-generation active Aββ vaccines and passive Aββ immunotherapies have been developed and are under clinical investigation with the aim of accelerating Aββ clearance from the brain of AD patients. The most advanced of these immunological approaches is bapineuzumab, which is composed of humanized anti-Aββ monoclonal antibodies that has been tested in two Phase II trials. Bapineuzumab has been shown to reduce Aββ burden in the brain of AD patients. However, its preliminary cognitive efficacy appears uncertain, particularly in ApoE εε4 carriers, and vasogenic edema may limit its clinical use. The results of four ongoing large Phase III trials on bapineuzumab will provide answers regarding whether passive anti-Aββ immunization is able to alter the course of this devastating disease.
Author(s): Francesco Panza [sup.[[dagger]]] [sup.5] , Vincenza Frisardi [sup.2] , Bruno P Imbimbo [sup.3] , Grazia D'âOnofrio [sup.1] , Giuseppe Pietrarossa [sup.4] , Davide Seripa [sup.1] , Alberto Pilotto [sup.1] [...]