Trials for a nasal spray vaccine for Alzheimer's are underway

YOU ARE THE WORDS, I AM THE NETU PLAY ME. ♪ ♪ JESSICA: JEFF AND CINDY GOLDBERG HAVE BEEN IN PERFECT HARMONY FOR MORE THAN FIVE DECADES. YOU GUYS FINISH EACH OTHER'S SENTENCES, YOU KNOW, DO WE? BUT, ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO CINDY STARTED NOTICING CNGHAES IN JEFF. >> HE WASN'T ABLE TO DO THE CHECKBOOK ANYME.OR HE WAS GETTING CONFUSED ABOUT THINGS JESSICA: AFTER TALKING WITH THEIR KIDS, THEY DECIDED TO SEE A DOCTOR, AND THEY GOT A HEARTBREAKING DIAGNOSIS. >> THE NEULOROGIST SAID, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE IT COULD BE ALZHEIMER'S. SO THEN HE HAD THE BRAIN SCAN DONE AND THEY SAW THE AQPL JESSICA: THAT'S WHEN THEY HEARD ABOUT A BREAKTHROUGH TREATMENT JUST GOING INTO TRIALS AT BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL. A NASAL SPRAY VACCINE, DESIGNED TO STOP THE PROGRESSION OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEE.AS >> I JUST SAID, YEAH, I'LL DO IT. I HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE EXCEPT EVERYTHING TO GAIN. >> WHAT WE'RE DOING, IT'S NEVER BEEN DONE BEREFO JESSICA: DR. HOWARD WEINER IS THE CO-DIRECTOR OF THE ANN ROMNEY CENTER AT THE BRIGHAM. HE'S WORKING ON THIS GROUNDBREAKING APPROACH TO ALZHEIMER'S TREATMENT FOR THE PAST TWENTY YES.AR >> THE HARDEST THING FOR A DOCTORS TO SIT WITH A PATIENT OR THREI FAMILY WHO'S ILL AND TO SAY TO THEM, WE DON'T HAVE ANY TREATMENT. JESSICA: THE CONCEPT IS DECEPTIVELY SIMPLE, THE NASAL SPRAY TRAINS THE PATIENT'S OWN BODY TO FIGHT BACK. IT RELSIE ON AN IMMUNE MODULATOR CALLED PROTOLLIN, A DRUG ME UPAD OF PROTEINS DERIVED FROM BACTERIA, WHICH ACTIVATE WTEHI BLOOD CESLL TO START CLEARING THE PLAQUE BUILD-UP ON THE BRAIN, A HALLMARK OF THIS DISEASE. >> WHAT WE'RE DOING IS TRIGGERING THE BODY'S OWN IMMUNE SYSTEM, THE BODY'S OWN DEFEESNS TO KIND OF CURE ITSE.LF JESSICA: THE VACCINE IS CURRENTLY IN PHASE ONE TRIALS, AN EARLYTA SGE WITH JUST 16 PARTICIPANTS. RESEARCHERS WILL MONITOR THAT GROUP FOR SIX MONTHS, TESTING DOSAGE AND SAFETY, BEFORE HOPEFULLY LAUNCHING A SECOND, LARGER TRI.AL >> WE'RE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS SO R.FA IT SEEMS TO BE GOING WELL, AND WE'RE NOT SEEING ANY MAJOR ISSU.ES JESSICA:R. D TANUJACHITNIS IS THE PRINCIPALNV IESTIGATOR FOR THE TRIAL, PART OF HER ROLE IS TO RECRUIT PATIENTS TO TAKE PA.RT THOUGH SHE SAYS PERSUADING PEOPLE HASTN' BEEN A CHALLENGE. >> WE WERE REALLY VERY PLEASED AND SOMEWHAT OVERWHELMED BY THE AMOUNT OINF TEREST THAT THERE WAS IN THIS VACCINE THINK IT'S BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED BY ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, FAMILY MEMBERS, LOVED ONES,ND T AHE FACT THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN MANY THERAPIES AVAILAE.BL JESSICA: FOR DR. WEINER THIS MISSION IS PERSONAL. >> I LOST MY MOTHER TO ALZHEIMER'S HEARING WHAT ALL THE PEOPLE HAVE GONE THROUGH WHEN THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS HAVEN'T AND, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH IT MYSELF WITH MY MOTHER. SO, I MEAN, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO QUIT. JESSICA: AND THAT FIGHTING SPIRIT IS STRONG IN THE GOLDBERGS, TOO, EVEN DOWN THE YOUNGEST MEMBERSF O THIS FAMILY. >> ONE OF MY GRANDSONS HE'S EIGHT. HE GOES GM.RA YOU KNOW, I WANT TO BE A DOCTOR WHEN I GROW UP. I WANT TO FIND AUR CE

Imagine this: A vaccine that could stop Alzheimer’s disease in its tracks. A treatment that could spare millions of families the pain and heartbreak of watching someone they love slip away is now in clinical trials in Boston.“What we’re doing, it’s never been done before,” said Dr. Howard Weiner, co-director of the Ann Romney Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Weiner has been working on the nasal spray vaccine for almost two decades. The treatment relies on an immune modulator called Protollin, a drug made up of proteins derived from bacteria. It is designed to activate white blood cells to start clearing the plaque build-up on the brain, a hallmark of the disease.“What we’re doing is triggering the body’s own immune system, the body’s own defenses, to kind of cure itself,” explained Weiner. The vaccine is currently in phase one trials — an early stage with just 16 participants who are already showing symptoms of the disease. That group includes Jeff Goldberg of Easton. He and his family first noticed some changes five years ago. “He wasn’t able to do the checkbook anymore. He was getting confused about things,” said Goldberg's wife, Cindy. After Goldberg’s diagnosis, the family learned about the early-stage trial for the vaccine getting underway this past December. Goldberg was on board. “I just said, yeah, I’ll do it. I have nothing to lose except everything to gain,” he said. Patients in the current trial are being monitored for six months as researchers evaluate dosage and safety. Then, hopefully, launch a larger trial for the vaccine. “We’re making good progress so far,” said Dr. Tanuja Chitnis, the principal investigator for the trial. “It seems to be going very well and we’re not seeing any major issues.”For Weiner, this mission is personal. “I lost my mother to Alzheimer’s disease,” he explained. “Hearing what all the people have gone through and, you know, going through it myself with my mother. So, I mean, you’re not going to quit.”That fighting spirit is strong in the Goldbergs, too. Even down to the youngest members of the family.“One of my grandsons, he’s 8,” said Cindy Goldberg. “He goes, 'Gram, I want to be a doctor when I grow up. You know why? Because I want to find a cure for Alzheimer’s so my Grampy won’t forget who I am.' Yeah. How about that one?”Right now, the trial only involves patients already showing symptoms of the disease. But, Weiner hopes in the future the vaccine could be available to people who are merely at risk of developing the illness. He hopes to be seeking FDA approval for the vaccine in about five years.

Imagine this: A vaccine that could stop Alzheimer’s disease in its tracks.

A treatment that could spare millions of families the pain and heartbreak of watching someone they love slip away is now in clinical trials in Boston.

“What we’re doing, it’s never been done before,” said Dr. Howard Weiner, co-director of the Ann Romney Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Weiner has been working on the nasal spray vaccine for almost two decades. The treatment relies on an immune modulator called Protollin, a drug made up of proteins derived from bacteria. It is designed to activate white blood cells to start clearing the plaque build-up on the brain, a hallmark of the disease.

“What we’re doing is triggering the body’s own immune system, the body’s own defenses, to kind of cure itself,” explained Weiner.

The vaccine is currently in phase one trials — an early stage with just 16 participants who are already showing symptoms of the disease.

That group includes Jeff Goldberg of Easton. He and his family first noticed some changes five years ago.

“He wasn’t able to do the checkbook anymore. He was getting confused about things,” said Goldberg's wife, Cindy.

After Goldberg’s diagnosis, the family learned about the early-stage trial for the vaccine getting underway this past December. Goldberg was on board.

“I just said, yeah, I’ll do it. I have nothing to lose except everything to gain,” he said.

Patients in the current trial are being monitored for six months as researchers evaluate dosage and safety. Then, hopefully, launch a larger trial for the vaccine.

“We’re making good progress so far,” said Dr. Tanuja Chitnis, the principal investigator for the trial. “It seems to be going very well and we’re not seeing any major issues.”

For Weiner, this mission is personal.

“I lost my mother to Alzheimer’s disease,” he explained. “Hearing what all the people have gone through and, you know, going through it myself with my mother. So, I mean, you’re not going to quit.”

That fighting spirit is strong in the Goldbergs, too. Even down to the youngest members of the family.

“One of my grandsons, he’s 8,” said Cindy Goldberg. “He goes, 'Gram, I want to be a doctor when I grow up. You know why? Because I want to find a cure for Alzheimer’s so my Grampy won’t forget who I am.' Yeah. How about that one?”

Right now, the trial only involves patients already showing symptoms of the disease. But, Weiner hopes in the future the vaccine could be available to people who are merely at risk of developing the illness.

He hopes to be seeking FDA approval for the vaccine in about five years.

Trials for a nasal spray vaccine for Alzheimer's are underway

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