Intellect Neuro links with University to test potential Alzheimer's vaccine

US neurological-focused drug developer Intellect Neurosciences (OTCBB: ILNS) has entered into a collaboration with the University of California, Irvine, to test RV03 - a preclinical, first-in-class, dual acting peptide vaccine candidate to induce an immune response against beta amyloid and delta tau.

Delta tau is thought to be the earliest pathological form of tau protein prior to the formation of neurofibrillary tangles in the brain of Alzheimer's patients. RV03 will be tested for both its therapeutic and prophylactic potential.

Intellect will be collaborating with Frank LaFerla, Chancellor's Professor and Chair, Neurobiology and Behavior School of Biological Sciences, Director, Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders and his team. Previously, Dr LaFerla's group proposed a novel mechanism establishing a causative link between the accumulation of beta amyloid in the brain of Alzheimer's patients and the formation of neurofibrillary tangles comprised of tau protein. This was an important step towards explaining how these two different proteins act synergistically to cause irreversible damage and death of nerve cells.