Year 2, UCR
We have developed new proteins that will stimulate immune responses to a major factor in Alzheimer’s disease. Previous studies from our lab and others indicate that those responses can be improve memory deficits and brain pathology that occurs in Alzheimer’s patients, and in Alzheimer’s mice. To stimulate these immune responses the new proteins must be expressed by specific immune cells called, dendritic cells. Viruses have been made that carry the codes for these new proteins and we have confirmed that those viruses can deliver them into dendritic cells. To optimize these procedures we have made dendritic cells from human embryonic stem cells, and we developed methods to accomplish that step in our laboratory. At the end of year 2 we are nearing the completion of our preclinical studies and are poised to begin introducing the new proteins into immune cells that are derived from human blood, within the next year. The over-arching goal of this project is to develop method to trigger Alzheimer’s-specific immune responses in a safe and reliable manner that could provide beneficial effects with minimal side-effects. This CIRM-funded project is on track to be completed within the 5 year time-frame.