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Generation of antibodies specific for beta-amyloid by vaccination of patients with Alzheimer disease
Hock C, Konietzko U, Papassotiropoulos A, Wollmer A, Streffer J, von Rotz RC, Davey G, Moritz E et al.. Nature medicine, 2002-10-15
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Plain-language summary
To characterize antibodies produced in humans in response to Abeta42 vaccination, we carried out immunohistochemical examinations of the brains of both transgenic mice and human patients with beta-amyloid pathology. We collected sera from patients with Alzheimer disease who received a primary injection of pre-aggregated Abeta42 followed by one booster injection in a placebo-controlled study. Antibodies in immune sera recognized beta-amyloid plaques, diffuse Abeta deposits and vascular beta-amyloid in brain blood vessels.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Hock, C., Konietzko, U., Papassotiropoulos, A., Wollmer, A., Streffer, J., von Rotz, R. C., et al. (2002). Generation of antibodies specific for beta-amyloid by vaccination of patients with Alzheimer disease. Nature medicine. https://doi.org/10.1038/nm783
Vancouver
Hock C, Konietzko U, Papassotiropoulos A, Wollmer A, Streffer J, von Rotz RC, et al. Generation of antibodies specific for beta-amyloid by vaccination of patients with Alzheimer disease. Nature medicine. 2002. doi:10.1038/nm783. PMID: 12379846.
BibTeX
@article{hock2002-12379846,
author = {Hock, C. and Konietzko, U. and Papassotiropoulos, A. and Wollmer, A. and Streffer, J. and von Rotz, R. C. and Davey, G. and Moritz, E. and others},
title = {{Generation of antibodies specific for beta-amyloid by vaccination of patients with Alzheimer disease}},
journal = {Nature medicine},
year = {2002},
doi = {10.1038/nm783},
pmid = {12379846},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/nm783}
}
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Key findings
- We collected sera from patients with Alzheimer disease who received a primary injection of pre-aggregated Abeta42 followed by one booster injection in a placebo-controlled study.
- Antibodies in immune sera recognized beta-amyloid plaques, diffuse Abeta deposits and vascular beta-amyloid in brain blood vessels.
- The antibodies did not cross-react with native full-length beta-amyloid precursor protein or its physiological derivatives, including soluble Abeta42.
- These findings indicate that vaccination of AD patients with Abeta42 induces antibodies that have a high degree of selectivity for the pathogenic target structures.
Why it matters
Patients with Alzheimer's disease who received an Abeta42 vaccination developed antibodies that recognized amyloid plaques, diffuse deposits and vascular amyloid without cross-reacting with normal amyloid precursor protein. This shows the vaccine could produce the intended antibodies but does not report whether it improved or prevented disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 63/100
Published in a top-tier journal, and it is a randomized controlled trial. Scored zero for sample size and effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 10 / 10 | Tier 1 — top-tier general journal (Nature medicine) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Nature Medicine: journal h-index 763 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomized controlled trial (from PubMed type “Randomized Controlled Trial”) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2002 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (pubmed indexes it as a clinical or observational study) |
| Randomized / blinded | 2 / 2 | Randomized and blinded or placebo-controlled (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 286 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 11.0 citations a year over 26 year(s) since 2002 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 19.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 7 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 10 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Roger M. Nitsch: h-index 82 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Zurich: institution h-index 1,220 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 12379846) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 63 / 100 | — |
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