Alzheimer Aβ vaccination of rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta)

Recent preliminary data suggest that vaccination with Alzheimer AD might reduce senile plaque load and stabilize cognitive decline in human Alzheimer disease. To examine the mechanisms and consequences of anti-Abeta-antibody formation in a species more closely related to humans, rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were vaccinated with aggregated Abeta1-42. Immunized monkeys developed anti-Abeta titers exceeding 1: 1000, and their plasma Abeta levels were 5- to 10-fold higher than the plasma AD levels observed in monkeys vaccinated with aggregated amylin. These data support the use of nonhuman primates to model certain phenomena associated with vaccination of humans with aggregated Alzheimer AD.