Intranasal Immunotherapy Offers Hope for Alzheimer’s Patients

A new study reveals the use of intranasal immunotherapy for treating Alzheimer’s patients.

Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory disease that is difficult to treat. There’s no clear evidence to suggest the existence of Alzheimer’s cure. However, researchers are trying to find methods that can reduce inflammation in Alzheimer’s disease. New research has discovered a novel nasal immunotherapy that shows promise in reducing inflammation in Alzheimer’s patients. The research is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This new therapy, named anti-CD3, has demonstrated its ability to enhance cognition in Alzheimer’s disease models, and notably, it works independently of targeting amyloid beta plaques. The treatment involves the administration of intranasal anti-CD3 three times a week for five months. It effectively limits the activation of microglia, the immune cells responsible for brain inflammation.

Here Are Some Key Takeaways From The Research!

-Mice treated with this nasal immunotherapy exhibited improved cognitive performance, as evidenced by better results in behavioral tests, including a water maze challenge.

-The study also revealed significant changes in gene expression patterns within the brain. Furthermore, there was an expansion of regulatory T cells that combat disease in peripheral areas after treatment.

-Crucially, all these positive effects were observed independently of the levels of amyloid beta plaques in the brain.

Important Observation

According to corresponding author Howard L. Weiner, this intranasal anti-CD3 therapy could potentially have a significant impact on treating later-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, it may find applications in other inflammatory conditions. “We provide evidence that intranasal anti-CD3 therapy can dampen microglia activation and expand T cells in a murine model of Alzheimer’s,” said corresponding author Howard L. Weiner, MD, of the Department of Neurology. “This represents a unique approach to treating later-stage Alzheimer’s that can be applied to other inflammatory disease conditions as well.”

Future Investigations And Clinical Trials

The research team plans to further investigate the use of this immunotherapy in combination with anti-amyloid therapies. Additionally, they aim to expand their research into human clinical trials. This groundbreaking discovery builds upon previous studies involving foralumab, a fully human anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody treatment, which has shown promise in patients with COVID-19 and multiple sclerosis (MS).