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Chicago Hospital Participates In Study Of Potential Alzheimer's Vaccine

(CBS) -- Alzheimer's disease afflicts millions of Americans. There is no cure, but there is promising research taking place right here in Chicago that could one day stop the progression of this cruel disease.

CBS 2's Roseanne Tellez reports.

"Still Alice" is a rare big screen look a disease facing more than five million Americans. Julianne Moore -- in a role for which she is nominated for an Oscar -- portrays an early-onset Alzheimer's patient.

It's a real-life dilemma for Bill Kelly, 65, also diagnosed with early onset. Kelly is a patient at Loyola University Health System. He noticed changes when he couldn't find things.

He can't remember family visits.

"It's so gradual and so insidious that you don't realize that it's happening when it's happening," he says.

It can be the same for family members.

Rita Goins, 80, once headed human resources at an international company and loved to cook.

But after her diagnosis five years ago, the knobs are off the stove and the cookbooks are in the cabinet. Her daughter says it's too dangerous for her to cook anymore.

Goins is taking part in a clinical trial at Rush University Medical Center that is studying the drug Solanezumab.

Referred to as a vaccine, the drug has shown promise in other studies. It's now being given to patients in earlier stages of the disease.

"Any study that can show a delay the onset of the disease or the progression of the disease is a valuable, valuable study," Dr. Neelum Aggarwal says.

The drug helps to stop build-up in the brain of the protein Amyloid, which is believed to cause cognitive changes.

Kelly is motivated by the example he'll set for his children.

Rush has three other Alzheimer's studies underway looking at genetic risks for developing the disease, another experimental drug study that may help improve memory in Alzheimer's patients and an end-of-life study looking at brain-imaging techniques.

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