Peptide vaccination for Alzheimer's disease: Immunological foundations, therapeutic potential, and translational barriers

In recent years, increasing attention has been directed toward the role of immune responses in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The pathological proteins amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau protein are closely associated with immune dysregulation and neuroinflammatory processes during AD progression. Peptide vaccines targeting Aβ and tau have emerged as an active immunotherapeutic strategy designed to induce antigen-specific immune responses against pathological protein aggregates, and several candidates have advanced to early-phase clinical trials. Although preliminary studies have demonstrated acceptable safety profiles and the ability to elicit immune responses, substantial challenges remain in vaccine design, epitope selection, and clinical translation. This review summarizes current progress in peptide vaccine development for AD and discusses their potential applications from an immunological perspective.