Scientists have made a breakthrough on an Alzheimer's treatment that could reverse or even prevent the disease - for just £15 a dose.
Experiments on mice found that the jab restores memory by destroying rouge proteins in the brain, as reported by the Mirror.
According to British and German researchers, the pioneering therapy has the potential to revolutionise treatment.
It is also hoped that clinical trials on the technique, which targets soluble and highly toxic fragments of amyloid beta that clump into plaques, could begin in just two years.
Professor Thomas Bayer, of Gottingen University in Germany, who is co-author of the study said: “In clinical trials, none of the potential treatments have shown much success in terms of reducing Alzheimer’s symptoms.
"Some have even shown negative side effects. So we decided on a different approach.
“We identified an antibody in mice that would neutralise the truncated forms of soluble amyloid beta, but would not bind either to normal forms of the protein or to the plaques.”
The team next adapted the antibody, called TAP01, so our immune system would not recognise it as foreign.
To their surprise, the protein folded back on itself.
In tests, both the antibody and the engineered vaccine repaired the brain’s neuron function and increased glucose metabolism in the brain, bringing back the memories of the mice.
Co-author Professor Mark Carr, of Leicester University, said: “If these results were replicated in human trials, then it could be transformative.
“It opens up the possibility to not only treat Alzheimer’s but also to potentially vaccinate against the disease before the symptoms appear.”
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