Alzheimer’s disease: New vaccine ‘could reduce or prevent’ impact of illness and ‘eliminate toxic cells’

Scientists believe a new vaccine could reduce or even prevent the devastating impact of Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research. The jab could offer fresh hope in treating soaring cases of dementia, which is believed to affect more than 800,000 people in the UK.

The jab, which targets a protein involved in the most common cause of dementia, helped eliminate toxic cells in mice with the condition. Scientists say the mice had fewer amyloid plaques and less inflammation in their brain tissue after the SAGP vaccination - and they also showed improvement in behaviour and awareness.

The new vaccine has been developed by researchers at Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan. But it has yet to be tested in humans.