Ab4AD - Antibodies for Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the major cause of dementia, responsible for 60-70% of cases, leading to irrevocable memory loss and behavior changes. Prior studies have shown a link between germ exposure, immune response, and the probability of developing AD, known as ‘The Pathogen Hypothesis’. Despite a body of evidence, this angle has been under-explored due to the current focus on protein aggregation in the AD research world.

There are two germs that are of special interest; herpes (the common cold sore), and P.gigivalis (gum disease), both of which are shown to increase your AD-risk. We would like to understand how specific individuals remain dementia-free well into their 90s and 100s, despite being exposed to those same pathogens. We are looking to raise $192,570 USD to test saliva and blood samples from elderly individuals without dementia for antibodies against these germs. By comparing these results with samples from AD patients and younger people, we hope to discover protective antibodies.

These results will be used to create an AD diagnostic tool that will enable cheap, non-invasive, early diagnosis of asymptomatic individuals; a stark advantage when compared to current diagnostic tools. It will also serve as a valuable data collection tool, which will be used to support the long-term goal of developing a vaccine to protect against AD, offering new hope for millions of people and their families.

There is no doubt that we are facing an Alzheimer’s epidemic, with the number of cases climbing every year. What is worrying is that we still don’t fully understand why. While the pathogen hypothesis is growing in popularity, it has yet to be translated into a viable treatment or therapeutic avenue.

To take stock of where we are;

• There is a substantial body of evidence that shows infections from Herpes and/or P.gigivalis modulate our chances of developing AD
• These two infections are incredibly common, with most people being exposed during the course of their lifetime
• Antibodies, known as our body’s natural defense system, play a key role in how our bodies respond to these infections

Our key question is: what’s going on inside the bodies of people who get infected but don’t develop AD? Something in their immune response must be reducing that risk. This project aims to figure out what that protective response is, so we can emulate it.

Prior to seeking funding from the DeSci community, our team was able to screen a small number of blood and saliva samples provided through our partnership with Fliman Geriatric Hospital and the university’s dental school. We were able to determine a difference in antibody levels in the AD and non-AD samples, as well as identify a peptide we believe is a protective antibody. While promising, we urgently need to expand our sample size and perform additional verification steps.

Funding for this project will allow us to;

• Perform additional sample screening on new blood and saliva samples
• Perform VirScan on samples of interest, which will allow for a deeper analysis of the antibodies
• Additional validation and investigation of the protein-protein interactions involved in the immune response

We foresee commercialization of our research in two distinct steps; first a diagnostic tool and then vaccine development. Starting with a diagnostic tool has two clear benefits; being mindful of the quickest route to market, and producing a data aggregation tool that can be used to inform future vaccine development.

Patent strategy

• Patenting the wetware, hardware, and software components used in our AD detection kits.
• Obtaining patents for the new antibodies and their application methods developed for treating AD
• Patenting the specific ingredients and processes involved in creating vaccines aimed at preventing AD

The total project plan is $192,570 USD and our team needs your help!