Israeli Revolutionary Alzheimer's Treatment to Launch Phase 1 Trial

Professor Michal Schwartz of Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science is preparing for the launch of a Phase 1 clinical trial of a potentially transformative treatment for Alzheimer's disease, reports the Jerusalem Post . The therapy, devised by ImmunoBrain Checkpoint and based on two decades of work by Schwartz, highlights the importance of the immune system in maintaining healthy brain function and repair. The trial will assess ImmunoBrain Checkpoint's proprietary antibody, IBC-Ab002, which is targeted to augment immunity and activate brain repair processes in individuals with Alzheimer's. The Alzheimer's Association earmarked a $1 million grant to ImmunoBrain Checkpoint earlier to move forward on the trial. "Although the brain is the highest tissue in terms of consumption of oxygen and it is dependent on robust blood supply, there is no direct contact between the blood vessels and the brain's tissue," said Schwartz. "Accordingly, the brain has long been considered to be isolated from the immune system." Schwartz's investigations revealed that cognitive performance of the brain is impaired if the immune system is compromised. Moreover, immune system function impacts the timing of Alzheimer's disease onset and progress, and fortifying immunity can alter the disease.