Intravenous Antibodies for Alzheimer’s?

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), a.k.a. gamma globulin (IGg), has been used since the 50s to treat immune deficiency, although it was originally given intramuscularly. Over the years, IVIG has been used in severe infections, especially those involving the lungs, multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and a number of rare conditions involving the nervous system, the skin, and other organs. Its use received a big boost when it was reported recently that it seems to stabilize or improve mental functioning in Alzheimer’s disease, when given over a period of a year or more.

IVIG contains antibodies that bind to beta amyloid, a component of the microscopic plaques that are seen in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients. In a 6-month pilot study, eight patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s were given on alternate weeks for 3 months, and then stopped; the condition of the patients then deteriorated, so the doctors re-started IVIG for another 9 months. Six of the 8 patients benefited clinically from the IV treatments, and most of them were still improved after 18 months. Examination of the spinal fluid of the subjects showed that beta amyloid had been mobilized out of the central nervous system.

This may not be the ultimate treatment for Alzheimer’s disease that everyone is seeking, but it clearly demonstrates the central role of amyloid in the disease, and indicates the relevance of its removal. This should make a promising field for new drug discoveries.