A workshop on the subject of “Development of peptide vaccines targeting Alzheimer's disease: the state of the art”

As part of the implementation of SDG 3 “Good Health and Well-Being,” an event was held dedicated to one of the most pressing topics in modern biomedicine – the development of peptide vaccines against Alzheimer's disease. The seminar was organized by students of the Biotechnology educational program and cand. of bio.sci. A.A. Meldebekova, combining a scientific research approach with practical discussion of the latest achievements in the field of neurodegenerative diseases.

The lecture opened with a brief overview of the global problem of Alzheimer's disease – its social significance, the limitations of existing therapeutic approaches. Against this backdrop, the discussion of peptide vaccines as a promising direction for prevention and modification of the course of the disease was of particular interest. Participants were introduced to the key concepts underlying peptide vaccination: the selection of antigenic epitopes targeting pathological forms of β-amyloid and tau protein, as well as approaches to minimizing autoimmune reactions and increasing the safety of the immune response.

Students learned about modern platforms for creating peptide vaccines – synthetic constructs, conjugated peptides, and multi-epitope systems. Particular emphasis was placed on the advantages of peptide vaccines over earlier approaches: high specificity, the ability to fine-tune immunogenicity, simplified design, and better control of the safety profile.

The discussion covered the results of preclinical studies in detail, including antibody production efficiency, amyloid burden reduction, and neuroprotective effects identified in animal models. Students also discussed examples of vaccine candidates that have passed the clinical trial phase, difficulties in interpreting results, and factors influencing the successful transition from laboratory data to clinical application.

Wrapping up the seminar, participants reviewed the current state of peptide vaccine development and the prospects for integrating them into early intervention strategies for Alzheimer's disease. They emphasized that, despite ongoing scientific and technological challenges, the accumulated experience shows significant potential for this approach to improve patients' quality of life in the future.