Specialists from the Institute of Molecular Medicine and the University of California, Irvine have developed the world's first vaccine against amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia.

According to EurekAlert!, experiments on mice have been successful, and experts plan to soon begin clinical trials of the new vaccine in humans.

The vaccine, as scientists explain, is directed against the formation of amyloid beta-plaques and neurofibrillary tangles consisting of tau protein. These aggregates are the main cause of neurodegenerative changes in the brain, leading to cognitive impairment, senile dementia and death.

Alzheimer's disease is one of the most dangerous diseases of our time: it affects the elderly and leads to serious cognitive impairment. Effective methods of treatment and even preventive strategies are not currently available.