Antibody Rendering (Credit: Image courtesy of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)

Sciencedaily.com recently post this article about the development of an Alzheimer’s antibody. According to Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering Peter Tessier and his colleagues at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and with funding from the Alzheimer’s Association, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Pew Charitable Trust, a new method for designing antibodies in a “surprisingly simple” way has produced some promising results.

Using antibodies to attack and eliminate offending proteins, like APoE4, is nothing new and the buzz around this type of treatment did not appear without promising initial results. However, upon further trials, some of the early attempts have resulted in only “okay” results often due to dangerous side effects like brain swelling.

So whats the big deal? Continue reading →