Bapineuzumab may reduce tau levels in CSF

Monday 09 April 2012

Researchers have found that treatment with the antibody bapineuzumab significantly lowered levels of phosphorylated tau (P-tau) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of people with Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Kaj Blennow, Professor of Clinical Neurochemistry at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, led the project that pooled results from two earlier Phase II studies.

These studies showed that P-tau levels fell significantly for those people on bapineuzumab compared with controls. There was also a trend toward diminished total tau levels in these people. However, there were no changes in levels of beta amyloid, the protein that bapineuzumab is designed to remove. People with Alzheimer's disease typically have lower levels of beta amyloid and higher levels of tau in their CSF.

These findings may indicate that the antibody has some downstream effects on the degenerative process. It remains to be seen whether these effects translate to clinical improvements. Bapineuzumab is currently being evaluated in a Phase III trial.

http://archneur.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/archneurol.2012.90v1