Stable accumulation of seed storage proteins containing vaccine peptides in transgenic soybean seeds.

There has been a significant increase in the use of transgenic plants for the large-scale production of pharmaceuticals and industrial proteins. Here, we report the stable accumulation of seed storage proteins containing disease vaccine peptides in transgenic soybean seeds. To synthesize vaccine peptides in soybean seeds, we used seed storage proteins as a carrier and a soybean breeding line lacking major seed storage proteins as a host. Vaccine peptides were inserted into the flexible disordered regions in the A1aB1b subunit three-dimensional structure. The A1aB1b subunit containing vaccine peptides in the disordered regions were sorted to the protein storage vacuoles where vaccine peptides are partially cleaved by proteases. In contrast, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-retention type of the A1aB1b subunit containing vaccine peptides accumulated in compartments that originated from the ER as an intact pro-form. These results indicate that the ER may be an organelle suitable for the stable accumulation of bioactive peptides using seed storage proteins as carriers.

Plant-based vaccines for Alzheimer's disease: an overview.

Plants are considered advantageous platforms for biomanufacturing recombinant vaccines. This constitutes a field of intensive research and some plant-derived vaccines are expected to be marketed in the near future. In particular, plant-based production of immunogens targeting molecules with implications on the pathology of Alzheimer's has been explored over the last decade. These efforts involve targeting amyloid beta and ß-secretase with several immunogen configurations that have been evaluated in test animals. The results of these developments are analyzed in this review. Perspectives on the topic are identified, such as exploring additional antigen configurations and adjuvants in order to improve immunization schemes, characterizing in detail the elicited immune responses, and immunological considerations in the achievement of therapeutic humoral responses via mucosal immunization. Safety concerns related to these therapies will also be discussed.

Efficacy and safety of a liposome-based vaccine against protein Tau, assessed in tau.P301L mice that model tauopathy.

Progressive aggregation of protein Tau into oligomers and fibrils correlates with cognitive decline and synaptic dysfunction, leading to neurodegeneration in vulnerable brain regions in Alzheimer's disease. The unmet need of effective therapy for Alzheimer's disease, combined with problematic pharmacological approaches, led the field to explore immunotherapy, first against amyloid peptides and recently against protein Tau. Here we adapted the liposome-based amyloid vaccine that proved safe and efficacious, and incorporated a synthetic phosphorylated peptide to mimic the important phospho-epitope of protein Tau at residues pS396/pS404. We demonstrate that the liposome-based vaccine elicited, rapidly and robustly, specific antisera in wild-type mice and in Tau.P301L mice. Long-term vaccination proved to be safe, because it improved the clinical condition and reduced indices of tauopathy in the brain of the Tau.P301L mice, while no signs of neuro-inflammation or other adverse neurological effects were observed. The data corroborate the hypothesis that liposomes carrying phosphorylated peptides of protein Tau have considerable potential as safe and effective treatment against tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease.

Anti-Aß antibodies induced by Aß-HBc virus-like particles prevent Aß aggregation and protect PC12 cells against toxicity of Aß1-40.

ß-Amyloid peptide (Aß) immunization is regarded as the most promising therapy to Alzheimer' s disease. The full length Aß as antigen might induce meningoencepholontis adverse effect since the middle and C-terminal fragments of Aß contain T cell epitopes. While N-terminal fragment of Aß, containing B cell epitope, has weak or no immunogenicity. To improve the immunogenicity, we used HBV core antigen as carrier to make fusion protein containing 2 Aß1-15. The fusion protein was expressed in Escherichia coli harboring the recombinant plasmid pET/c-2Aß15-c. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) showed that fusion protein could form virus-like particles (VLPs). After 7-weeks immunization with Aß-HBc VLPs through subcutaneous injection, the titer of anti-Aß antibody in sera of BALB/c mice reached up to 10(5), higher than Aß peptide immunization. Aß-HBc VLPs immunization did not elicit Aß-specific T cell proliferation. The main isotypes of antibody in mice immunized with Aß-HBc VLPs were IgG1 and IgG2b, while isotype in mice immunized with Aß1-42 was IgG2a. When the antisera from mice immunized with Aß-HBc VLPs were co-incubated for 1 week at 37°C with Aß, fibers of aggregated Aß was reduced or diminished. The antibodies also prevented PC12 cells from injury by toxicity of Aß. In conclusion, recombinant c-2Aß15-c gene can be expressed in E. coli. The expressed protein could form VLPs and has strong immunogenicity. The antisera prevented Aß fiber formation and protected the PC12 cells against toxicity of Aß. This study lays the foundation for the experimental study of AD gene engineering vaccine.

Immunogenic properties of amyloid beta oligomers.

BACKGROUND: The central molecule in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is believed to be a small-sized polypeptide - beta amyloid (Aß) which has an ability to assemble spontaneously into oligomers. Various studies concerning therapeutic and prophylactic approaches for AD are based on the immunotherapy using antibodies against Aß. It has been suggested that either active immunization with Aß or passive immunization with anti-Aß antibodies might help to prevent or reduce the symptoms of the disease. However, knowledge on the mechanisms of Aß-induced immune response is rather limited. Previous research on Aß1-42 oligomers in rat brain cultures showed that the neurotoxicity of these oligomers considerably depends on their size. In the current study, we evaluated the dependence of immunogenicity of Aß1-42 oligomers on the size of oligomeric particles and identified the immunodominant epitopes of the oligomers. RESULTS: Mice were immunized with various Aß1-42 oligomers. The analysis of serum antibodies revealed that small Aß1-42 oligomers (1-2 nm in size) are highly immunogenic. They induced predominantly IgG2b and IgG2a responses. In contrast, larger Aß1-42 oligomers and monomers induced weaker IgG response in immunized mice. The monoclonal antibody against 1-2 nm Aß1-42 oligomers was generated and used for antigenic characterization of Aß1-42 oligomers. Epitope mapping of both monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies demonstrated that the main immunodominant region of the 1-2 nm Aß1-42 oligomers is located at the amino-terminus (N-terminus) of the peptide, between amino acids 1 and 19. CONCLUSIONS: Small Aß1-42 oligomers of size 1-2 nm induce the strongest immune response in mice. The N-terminus of Aß1-42 oligomers represents an immunodominant region which indicates its surface localization and accessibility to the B cells. The results of the current study may be important for further development of Aß-based vaccination and immunotherapy strategies.

Short amyloid-ß immunogens with spacer-enhanced immunogenicity without junctional epitopes for Alzheimer's disease immunotherapy.

Induction of an immune response to amyloid-ß (Aß) protein is effective in treating animal models of Alzheimer's disease. The Aß1-15 sequence contains the antibody epitope(s), but lacks the T-cell reactive sites of full-length Aß1-42. We tested two alternative peptide immunogens encompassing either a tandem repeat of GPGPG-linked Aß1-15 sequences (2Aß15-linker) or a tandem repeat Aß1-15 without the spacer sequence (2Aß15). Titers of the immunized sera were measured by indirect ELISA. We analyzed the production of interferon-γ and interleukin-4 cytokine by lymphocytes and CD4 T-cells using ELISPOT and FACS assays; we then measured CD4 T-cell proliferation using a CFSE-based lymphoproliferation assay. Immunization with 2Aß15-linker resulted in a high anti-Aß titer of the noninflammatory T-helper 2 isotype, a lack of lymphocyte proliferation against the spacer part peptide. We observed much lower titers against the Aß protein after immunization with 2Aß15. Restimulation of lymphocytes with the corresponding immunogens resulted in proliferative responses, which showed that the sequential arrangement of the epitopes created junctional epitopes. The disruption of junctional epitopes through the introduction of a GPGPG spacer restored the immunogenicity against all the epitopes. Our novel immunogen with spacer may be a safer alternative to a peptide-based vaccine.

Intranasal inoculation with an adenovirus vaccine encoding ten repeats of Aß3-10 reduces AD-like pathology and cognitive impairment in Tg-APPswe/PSEN1dE9 mice.

To develop a safe and efficient vaccine for AD treatment, we constructed an adenovirus vector vaccine encoding ten repeats of Aß3-10 and CpG motif as a molecular adjuvant. We demonstrated that therapeutic immunization with Ad-10×Aß3-10-CpG elicits Aß3-10 specific Th2-polarized immune response with high titers of anti-Aß antibodies in APPswe/PSEN1dE9 mice, which in turn reduced Aß deposits in brains and cognitive impairment. In addition, Ad-10×Aß3-10-CpG reduced astrocytosis without increasing the incidence of microhemorrhage. Our findings of this study raise the possibility that the adenovirus vaccine Ad-10×Aß3-10-CpG would be a safe and effective alternative for AD immunotherapy.

Combined treatment of Aß immunization with statin in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

We evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of combined treatment of Aß-immunization with simvastatin in an Alzheimer mouse model at age 22 months. DNA prime-adenovirus boost immunization induced modest anti-Aß titers and simvastatin increased the seropositive rate. Aß-KLH was additionally administered to boost the titers. Irrespective of simvastatin, the immunization did not decrease cerebral Aß deposits but increased soluble Aß and tended to exacerbate amyloid angiopathy in the hippocampus. The immunization increased cerebral invasion of leukocytes and simvastatin counteracted the increase. Thus, modest anti-Aß titers can increase soluble Aß and simvastatin may reduce inflammation associated with vaccination in aged Alzheimer mouse models.

Active immunization with amyloid-beta 1-42 impairs memory performance through TLR2/4-dependent activation of the innate immune system.

Active immunization with amyloid-ß (Aß) peptide 1-42 reverses amyloid plaque deposition in the CNS of patients with Alzheimer's disease and in amyloid precursor protein transgenic mice. However, this treatment may also cause severe, life-threatening meningoencephalitis. Physiological responses to immunization with Aß(1-42) are poorly understood. In this study, we characterized cognitive and immunological consequences of Aß(1-42)/CFA immunization in C57BL/6 mice. In contrast to mice immunized with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)(35-55)/CFA or CFA alone, Aß(1-42)/CFA immunization resulted in impaired exploratory activity, habituation learning, and spatial-learning abilities in the open field. As morphological substrate of this neurocognitive phenotype, we identified a disseminated, nonfocal immune cell infiltrate in the CNS of Aß(1-42)/CFA-immunized animals. In contrast to MOG(35-55)/CFA and PBS/CFA controls, the majority of infiltrating cells in Aß(1-42)/CFA-immunized mice were CD11b(+)CD14(+) and CD45(high), indicating their blood-borne monocyte/macrophage origin. Immunization with Aß(1-42)/CFA was significantly more potent than immunization with MOG(35-55)/CFA or CFA alone in activating macrophages in the secondary lymphoid compartment and peripheral tissues. Studies with TLR2/4-deficient mice revealed that the TLR2/4 pathway mediated the Aß(1-42)-dependent proinflammatory cytokine release from cells of the innate immune system. In line with this, TLR2/4 knockout mice were protected from cognitive impairment upon immunization with Aß(1-42)/CFA. Thus, this study identifies adjuvant effects of Aß(1-42), which result in a clinically relevant neurocognitive phenotype highlighting potential risks of Aß immunotherapy.

Simvastatin enhances immune responses to Aß vaccination and attenuates vaccination-induced behavioral alterations.

Statins are widely used to lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting cholesterol biosynthesis. Some evidence has indicated that statins might have therapeutic and preventive benefits for Alzheimer's disease (AD). We and others also have shown the beneficial effect of statin treatment in reversing learning and memory deficits in animal models of AD. However, data from clinical trials are inconclusive. We previously documented that the adenovirus vector encoding 11 tandem repeats of Aß1-6 fused to the receptor-binding domain (Ia) of Pseudomonas exotoxin A, AdPEDI-(Aß1-6)(11), is effective in inducing an immune response against amyloid-ß protein (Aß) and reducing brain Aß load in Alzheimer's mouse models. In the present study, we examined whether the administration of simvastatin can modulate immune and behavioral responses of C57BL/6 mice to vaccination. Simvastatin was given to the animals as a diet admixture for four weeks, followed by nasal vaccination with AdPEDI-(Aß1-6)(11) once per week for four weeks. The cholesterol-lowering action of simvastatin was monitored by measuring the cholesterol levels in plasma. Simvastatin significantly increased the number of the mice responding to vaccination compared with the mice receiving only AdPEDI-(Aß1-6)(11). Immunoglobulin isotyping revealed that the vaccination predominantly induced Th2 immune responses. Simvastatin treatment prevented Aß-induced production of IFN-γ in splenocytes. The adenovirus vaccination altered mouse behavior in T- and elevated plus-maze tests and simvastatin counteracted such behavioral changes. Our results indicate that simvastatin clearly enhances the immune responses of C57BL/6 mice to the nasal vaccination with AdPEDI-(Aß1-6)(11). Simvastatin may be effective in preventing behavioral changes associated with vaccination.

Immunization with the SDPM1 peptide lowers amyloid plaque burden and improves cognitive function in the APPswePSEN1(A246E) transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Vaccination has become an important therapeutic approach to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD), however, immunization with Abeta amyloid can have unwanted, potentially lethal, side effects. Here we demonstrate an alternative peptide-mimotope vaccine strategy using the SDPM1 peptide. SDPM1 is a 20 amino acid peptide bounded by cysteines that binds tetramer forms of Abeta(1-40)- and Abeta(1-42)-amyloids and blocks subsequent Abeta amyloid aggregation. Immunization of mice with SDPM1 induced peptide-mimotope antibodies with the same biological activity as the SDPM1 peptide. When done prior to the onset of amyloid plaque formation, SDPM1 vaccination of APPswePSEN1(A246E) transgenic mice reduced amyloid plaque burden and Abeta(1-40) and Abeta(1-42) levels in the brain, improved cognitive performance in Morris water maze tests, and resulted in no increased T cell responses to immunogenic or Abeta peptides or brain inflammation. When done after plaque burden was already significant, SDPM1 immunization still significantly reduced amyloid plaque burden and Abeta(1-40/1-42) peptide levels in APPswePSEN1(A246E) brain without inducing encephalitogenic T cell responses or brain inflammation, but treatment at this stage did not improve cognitive function. These experiments demonstrate the efficacy of a novel vaccine approach for Alzheimer's disease where immunization with an Abeta(1-40/1-42) amyloid-specific binding and blocking peptide is used to inhibit the development of neuropathology and cognitive dysfunction.

Design and development of non-fibrillar amyloid beta as a potential Alzheimer vaccine.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia affecting the elderly. Treatment for effective cure of this complex neurodegenerative disease does not yet exist. In AD, otherwise soluble, monomeric form of amyloid beta (Abeta) peptide converts into toxic, fibrillar form rich in beta-sheet content. Several immunological approaches that prevent this conversion of Abeta into pathological form or that accelerate its clearance are being actively pursued worldwide. As part of these attempts, we report here, the design and characterization of a non-amyloidogenic homologue of Abeta (Abeta-KEK). We demonstrate that this peptide is helical in nature and retains the immunoneutralizing epitopes of native Abeta. More importantly, Fab fragments of the polyclonal anti-Abeta-KEK antibodies interfere with formation of Abeta fibrils as well as dissociate the preformed Abeta aggregates in vitro. These results suggest that non-amyloidogenic Abeta-KEK may serve as a safer alternative vaccine for Alzheimer's disease.

Immunodominant epitope and properties of pyroglutamate-modified Abeta-specific antibodies produced in rabbits.

N-truncated and N-modified forms of amyloid beta (Abeta) peptide are found in diffused and dense core plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Down's syndrome patients as well as transgenic mouse models of AD. Although the pathological significance of these shortened forms Abeta is not completely understood, previous studies have demonstrated that these peptides are significantly more resistant to degradation, aggregate more rapidly in vitro and exhibit similar or, in some cases, increased toxicity in hippocampal neuronal cultures compared to the full length peptides. In the present study we further investigated the mechanisms of toxicity of one of the most abundant N-truncated/modified Abeta peptide bearing amino-terminal pyroglutamate at position 3 (AbetaN3(pE)). We demonstrated that AbetaN3(pE) oligomers induce phosphatidyl serine externalization and membrane damage in SH-SY5Y cells. Also, we produced AbetaN3(pE)-specific polyclonal antibodies in rabbit and identified an immunodominant epitope recognized by anti-AbetaN3(pE) antibodies. Our results are important for developing new immunotherapeutic compounds specifically targeting AbetaN3(pE) aggregates since the most commonly used immunogens in the majority of vaccines for AD have been shown to induce antibodies that recognize the N-terminal immunodominant epitope (EFRH) of the full length Abeta, which is absent in N-amino truncated peptides.

Rationale for peptide and DNA based epitope vaccines for Alzheimer's disease immunotherapy.

Amyloid-beta (Abeta) immunotherapy has received considerable attention as a promising approach for reducing the level of Abeta in the CNS of Alzheimer's disease patients. However, the first Phase II clinical trial, for the immune therapy AN1792, was halted when a subset of those immunized with Abeta(42) developed adverse events in the central nervous system. In addition, data from the trial indicated that there was a low percentage of responders and generally low to moderate titers in the patients that received the vaccine. Generated antibodies reduced beta-amyloid deposits in the parenchyma of patients' brains, but no reduction in soluble Abeta or significant improvements in cognitive function of patients were observed. These data and data from pre-clinical studies suggest that reduction in the most toxic oligomeric forms of Abeta is important for prevention or slowing down of the progression of cognitive decline, and that vaccination should be started prior to irreversible accumulation of the oligomeric Abeta, at the early stages of AD. Protective immunotherapy requires a development of safe and effective strategy for Abeta immunotherapy. In this review, the rationale for developing epitope vaccines for the treatment of AD will be discussed. We believe that an epitope vaccine will induce an adequate anti-Abeta antibody response in the absence of potentially adverse self T cell-mediated events, making it possible to start immunization at the early stages of AD.

Amyloid beta peptides with an additional cysteine residue can enhance immunogenicity and reduce the amyloid beta burden in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model.

For the development of a safe vaccine for Alzheimer's disease (AD), we studied the immunogenicity of amyloid beta (Abeta) peptides without adjuvant. Addition of a cysteine residue (Cys) to Abeta peptides enhanced immunogenicity in mice compared to those without Cys. Vaccination with the Abeta-Cys peptides reduced Abeta deposits in AD model mice. From these results, the Abeta-Cys peptides, administered without adjuvant, are considered candidates for vaccine therapy for AD.

Mutant amyloid-beta-sensitized dendritic cells as Alzheimer's disease vaccine.

Vaccines using bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DCs) sensitized to Abeta 1-42 peptide and other mutant peptides were tested on BALB/c and APP(SW) transgenic mice. Wild type Abeta 1-42-sensitized DC vaccine (DCSV) produced no response, but all peptides with a T-cell epitope mutation induced antibody responses without inflammation. DCSV with Abeta 1-25 peptide with mutated T-cell epitope failed to induce antibody response, while DCSV with Abeta 1-35 with mutated T-cell epitope produced a strong antibody response. The entire T-cell epitope is required in a DC vaccine to induce antibody response. DCSV with Abeta peptide carrying the entire mutant T-cell epitope may be an appropriate vaccine against AD.

Enhancing Th2 immune responses against amyloid protein by a DNA prime-adenovirus boost regimen for Alzheimer's disease.

Accumulation of aggregated amyloid beta-protein (Abeta) in the brain is thought to be the initiating event leading to neurodegeneration and dementia in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Therefore, therapeutic strategies that clear accumulated Abeta and/or prevent Abeta production and its aggregation are predicted to be effective against AD. Immunization of AD mouse models with synthetic Abeta prevented or reduced Abeta load in the brain and ameliorated their memory and learning deficits. The clinical trials of Abeta immunization elicited immune responses in only 20% of AD patients and caused T-lymphocyte meningoencephalitis in 6% of AD patients. In attempting to develop safer vaccines, we previously demonstrated that an adenovirus vector, AdPEDI-(Abeta1-6)11, which encodes 11 tandem repeats of Abeta1-6 can induce anti-inflammatory Th2 immune responses in mice. Here, we investigated whether a DNA prime-adenovirus boost regimen could elicit a more robust Th2 response using AdPEDI-(Abeta1-6)11 and a DNA plasmid encoding the same antigen. All mice (n=7) subjected to the DNA prime-adenovirus boost regimen were positive for anti-Abeta antibody, while, out of 7 mice immunized with only AdPEDI-(Abeta1-6)11, four mice developed anti-Abeta antibody. Anti-Abeta titers were indiscernible in mice (n=7) vaccinated with only DNA plasmid. The mean anti-Abeta titer induced by the DNA prime-adenovirus boost regimen was approximately 7-fold greater than that by AdPEDI-(Abeta1-6)11 alone. Furthermore, anti-Abeta antibodies induced by the DNA prime-adenovirus boost regimen were predominantly of the IgG1 isotype. These results indicate that the DNA prime-adenovirus boost regimen can enhance Th2-biased responses with AdPEDI-(Abeta1-6)11 in mice and suggest that heterologous prime-boost strategies may make AD immunotherapy more effective in reducing accumulated Abeta.

Nasal inoculation of an adenovirus vector encoding 11 tandem repeats of Abeta1-6 upregulates IL-10 expression and reduces amyloid load in a Mo/Hu APPswe PS1dE9 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: One of the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is deposits of amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) in neuritic plaques and cerebral vessels. Immunization of AD mouse models with Abeta reduces Abeta deposits and improves memory and learning deficits. Because recent clinical trials of immunization with Abeta were halted due to brain inflammation that was presumably induced by a T-cell-mediated autoimmune response, vaccination modalities that elicit predominantly humoral immune responses are currently being developed. METHODS: We have nasally immunized a young AD mouse model with an adenovirus vector encoding 11 tandem repeats of Abeta1-6 fused to the receptor-binding domain (Ia) of Pseudomonas exotoxin A (PEDI), AdPEDI-(Abeta1-6)(11), in order to evaluate the efficacy of the vector in preventing Abeta deposits in the brain. We also have investigated immune responses of mice to AdPEDI-(Abeta1-6)(11). RESULTS: Nasal immunization of an AD mouse model with AdPEDI-(Abeta1-6)(11) elicited a predominant IgG1 response and reduced Abeta load in the brain. The plasma IL-10 level in the AD mouse model was upregulated after immunization and, upon the stimulation with PEDI-(Abeta1-6)(11), marked IL-10 responses were found in splenic CD4(+) T cells from C57BL/6 mice that had been immunized with AdPEDI-(Abeta1-6)(11). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the induction of Th2-biased responses with AdPEDI-(Abeta1-6)(11) in mice is mediated in part through the upregulation of IL-10, which inhibits activation of dendritic cells that dictate the induction of Th1 cells.

Papillomavirus-like particles are an effective platform for amyloid-beta immunization in rabbits and transgenic mice.

Immunization with amyloid-beta (Abeta) prevents the deposition of Abeta in the brain and memory deficits in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD), opening the possibility for immunotherapy of AD in humans. Unfortunately, the first human trial of Abeta vaccination was complicated, in a small number of vaccinees, by cell-mediated meningoencephalitis. To develop an Abeta vaccine that lacks the potential to induce autoimmune encephalitis, we have generated papillomavirus-like particles (VLP) that display 1-9 aa of Abeta protein repetitively on the viral capsid surface (Abeta-VLP). This Abeta peptide was chosen because it contains a functional B cell epitope, but lacks known T cell epitopes. Rabbit and mouse vaccinations with Abeta-VLP were well tolerated and induced high-titer autoAb against Abeta, that inhibited effectively assembly of Abeta(1-42) peptides into neurotoxic fibrils in vitro. Following Abeta-VLP immunizations of APP/presenilin 1 transgenic mice, a model for human AD, we observed trends for reduced Abeta deposits in the brain and increased numbers of activated microglia. Furthermore, Abeta-VLP vaccinated mice also showed increased levels of Abeta in plasma, suggesting efflux from the brain into the vascular compartment. These results indicate that the Abeta-VLP vaccine induces an effective humoral immune response to Abeta and may thus form a basis to develop a safe and efficient immunotherapy for human AD.

Virus and virus-like particle-based immunogens for Alzheimer's disease induce antibody responses against amyloid-beta without concomitant T cell responses.

A vaccine targeting the amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptide is a promising potential immunotherapy for Alzheimer's disease patients. However, experience from a recent clinical trial of a candidate Abeta vaccine has suggested that it is important to develop techniques to induce high titer antibodies against Abeta associated with vaccine efficacy while reducing the T cell responses against Abeta that were potentially responsible for serious side effects. We have previously demonstrated that immunization with self- and foreign antigens arrayed in a repetitive fashion on the surface of virus-like particles (VLPs) induces high titer antibody responses at low doses and in the absence of potentially inflammatory adjuvants. In this study, we examined the antibody and T cell responses upon immunization with human papillomavirus VLP- and Qbeta bacteriophage-based Abeta vaccines. Immunization with Abeta conjugated to VLPs or Qbeta elicited anti-Abeta antibody responses at low doses and without the use of adjuvants. The flexibility of these virus-based display systems allowed us to link and induce antibodies against short Abeta-derived peptides from the amino- and carboxyl-termini of the peptide. Immunization of mice with Abeta peptide in combination with Freund's adjuvant elicited predominantly IgG2c antibodies and strong T cell proliferative responses against Abeta. In contrast, VLP-conjugated Abeta peptides elicited more balanced isotype responses, dominated by IgG1. Both VLP and Qbeta-based Abeta vaccines induced weak or negligible T cell responses against Abeta. T cell responses were largely directed against linked viral epitopes. Taken together, virus-based vaccines that allow the presentation of Abeta in a repetitive dense array are new and potentially more effective vaccine candidates for Alzheimer's disease.