Nestlé, AC Immune Team To Combat Alzheimer's
This article originally posted on Med Device Online
Lausanne, Switzerland -- This month has seen another major step forward in Nestlé’s commitment to brain research and the battle against Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences SA (NIHS), a fundamental research institute of the global nutrition, health and wellness company Nestlé, has signed a research collaboration agreement with AC Immune SA – a leading Lausanne-based biopharmaceutical company focused on neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of the collaboration is to develop a sensitive, minimally invasive Tau diagnostic assay for early Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by applying Nestlé’s proprietary multiplexed ultrasensitive antibody technology platform.
Tangles of Tau proteins are recognized as one of two major hallmarks of neurodegeneration, the other being beta-amyloid (Abeta) plaques. Tangles and other abnormal forms of Tau protein accumulate inside the brain cells and spread between cells of people with Alzheimer’s disease over a long period of time. It is now well established that Tau correlates well with cognitive decline and disease progression. Furthermore, Tau may develop into a suitable biomarker for early diagnosis of the disease.