Alzheimer's Disease Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Alzheimer's Disease, including details on diagnosis, memory loss, heredity, treatment, medication.

Meningoencephalitis associated with passive immunization of a transgenic murine model of Alzheimer's amyloidosis.

Lee EB, Leng LZ, Lee VM, Trojanowski JQ

Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, HUP, Philadelphia, 19104-4283, USA.

Immunization against the Abeta peptide reverses the pathologic and behavioral manifestations of Alzheimer's disease in murine models. Since active immunization is associated with an autoimmune meningoencephalitis in a subset of humans, passive transfer of anti-Abeta immunoglobulin is being pursued as a potentially safer alternative. We have identified cases of meningoencephalitis subsequent to peripheral and intracerebral passive immunization of Tg2576 mice. The vasocentric mononuclear infiltrate localized only to brain regions affected by Abeta amyloid deposits suggesting that the inflammatory reaction was Abeta specific. This report indicates that current passive immunization in humans should proceed with careful regard for autoimmune complications.

Published 2 May 2005 in FEBS Lett, 579(12): 2564-8.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Alzheimer's Disease Research Today. All Rights Reserved.