Due to the still unknown etiology and pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, namely whether beta-amyloid protein is a key cause of the disease or its consequence, currently to both physicians and patients may be unclear if the proposed therapy will affect the specific pathology, i.e. if the new treatment will be etiopathogenetic or only symptomatic. Only by thorough testing of the method will it be possible to check the plausibility of the amyloid hypothesis.

Despite the initial scientific enthusiasm regarding immunotherapy and the very first promising results, medical literature maintains that immunotherapy potential in relation to Alzheimer’s disease should not be generalized. Suspected, however, still unknown are some side effects or complications that may occur during treatment, such as autoimmune diseases, brain inflammation, microhemorhages, increased amyloid angiopathy, residual neurofibrillary tangles, brain volume reductions and problems with blood-brain barrier passage of antibodies. Given that, immunotherapy should not be seen as a universal therapeutic strategy on the principle “One size fits all.” and it is not advisable that IVIG be the first choice for AD patients.

The authors[1] warn that even passive immunization may pose a risk for humans and recommend quite cautious application of the method only after extensive testing on nonmurine animal species such as primates.

[1] Foster, J.K., G. Verdile, K.A. Bates and R.N. Martins, “Immunization in Alzheimer’s Disease: Naïve Hope or Realistic Clinical Potential?”, “Molecular Psychiatry” (2009) 14, 239-251, available at:  http://www.nature.com/mp/journal/v14/n3/full/mp2008115a.html .