[Immunotherapeutic approach for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases].

Alzheimer disease, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Different immunotherapeutic approaches for prevention and treatment of these diseases are currently object of several researches. In this paper, recent trials describing active and passive immunotherapy for the management of these pathologies are discussed. The recent immunotherapeutic and preventive approaches for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease are based on the use of β-amyloid peptides and to tau-based immunization strategies but new possibility are explored. Immunotherapeutic vaccine against angiotensin II showed promising results for the management of hypertension. Heath shock proteins and β2-glycoprotein I have been tested to reduce atherosclerosis. Insulin agonists were used for preventing type 1 diabetes in mouse; IL-1β was effective in experimental type 2 diabetes. Research in the field of immunological approach to treatment and prevention of chronic diseases is promising even if the present results have been obtained mainly in animal models.