A beta immunotherapy: Lessons learned for potential treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Amyloid-beta (A beta) immunotherapy for treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) was first described in 1999 and has been very informative regarding the role of A beta in AD. Through the efforts of many laboratories we now know that it is possible to reduce amyloid burden and many related AD pathologies in numerous animal models of the disease. Furthermore, initial clinical testing with AN1792, composed of A beta(1-42 )and an adjuvant, has yielded very important insights into both the clinical potential of the approach and the impact of A beta peptide on the disease. A brief review of our current understanding of A beta immunotherapy is described. These findings have led to newer alternative A beta immunotherapy approaches that include both active and passive approaches that are currently in clinical testing in both the USA and Europe.