Prevention and treatment of synucleinopathic disease

Abstract

The invention provides improved agents and methods for treatment of diseases associated with synucleinopathic diseases, including Lewy bodies of alpha-synuclein in the brain of a patient. Such methods entail administering agents that induce a beneficial immunogenic response against the Lewy body. The methods are particularly useful for prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of Parkinson's disease.

1 - 70 . (canceled) 
     
     
         71 . A method of therapeutically treating a patient suffering from a Lewy body disease, the method comprising:
 administering to the patient an effective regime of an agent and thereby therapeutically treating the disease;   wherein (i) the agent is Aβ or an immunogenic fragment thereof and the agent is linked to a carrier that helps elicit an immune response to the agent or is administered with an adjuvant that augments an immune response to the agent, or (ii) the agent is an antibody to Aβ.   
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the agent is Aβ or an immunogenic fragment thereof. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the agent is an antibody to Aβ. 
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the agent is administered peripherally. 
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the effective regime comprises administering multiple dosages over a period of at least six months. 
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the administering improves motor characteristics of the patient. 
     
     
         77 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the patient is free of Alzheimer's disease. 
     
     
         78 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the patient is free of Alzheimer's disease and has no genetic risk factors thereof. 
     
     
         79 . A method of therapeutically treating a patient suffering from a Lewy body disease, comprising
 administering to the patient an effective regime of a first agent and a second agent and thereby therapeutically treating the disease;   wherein (i) the first agent is alpha synuclein or an immunogenic fragment thereof, and the first agent is linked to a carrier that helps elicit an immune response to the first agent or is administered with an adjuvant that augments an immune response to the first agent, or (ii) the first agent is an antibody to alpha synuclein, and   wherein (i) the second agent is Aβ or an immunogenic fragment thereof and the second agent is linked to a carrier that helps elicit an immune response to the second agent or is administered with an adjuvant that augments an immune response to the second agent, or (ii) the second agent is an antibody to Aβ.   
     
     
         80 . A method of reducing the risk, lessening the severity, or delaying the outset of disease in a patient having a known genetic risk of a Lewy body disease, the method comprising
 administering to the patient an effective regime of an agent and thereby reducing the risk, lessening the severity, or delaying the outset of the disease;   wherein (i) the agent is Aβ or an immunogenic fragment thereof, and the agent is linked to a carrier that helps elicit an immune response to the agent or is administered with an adjuvant that augments an immune response to the agent, or (ii) the agent is an antibody to Aβ.   
     
     
         81 . The method of  claim 80 , wherein the agent is Aβ or an immunogenic fragment thereof. 
     
     
         82 . The method of  claim 80 , wherein the agent is an antibody to Aβ. 
     
     
         83 . A method of reducing the risk, lessening the severity, or delaying the outset of disease in a patient having a known genetic risk of a Lewy body disease, comprising
 administering to the patient an effective regime of a first agent and a second agent that induces an immunogenic response against Aβ in the patient and thereby reducing the risk, lessening the severity, or delaying the outset of the disease;   wherein (i) the first agent is alpha synuclein or an immunogenic fragment thereof and the first agent is linked to a carrier that helps elicit an immune response to the first agent or is administered with an adjuvant that augments an immune response to the first agent, or (ii) the first agent is an antibody to alpha synuclein, and   wherein (i) the second agent is Aβ or an immunogenic fragment thereof and the second agent is linked to a carrier that helps elicit an immune response to the second agent or is administered with an adjuvant that augments an immune response to the second agent, or (ii) the second agent is an antibody to Aβ.   
     
     
         84 . The method of  claim 83 , wherein the agent is administered peripherally. 
     
     
         85 . The method of  claim 83 , wherein the effective regime comprises administering multiple dosages over a period of at least six months. 
     
     
         86 . The method of  claim 83 , wherein the patient is free of Alzheimer's disease. 
     
     
         87 . The method of  claim 83 , wherein the patient is free of Alzheimer's disease and has no genetic risk factors thereof.