Characteristics and Application of Transgenic Mouse Models of Alzheimer's Disease / 中国实验动物学报

ABSTRACT

The aim of establishment of animal models is to replicate human diseases in the animals and serve studies on causes, symptoms, pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment, etc. of those diseases. Up to now, there is no ideal animal model of Alzheimer's disease(AD). The lag of animal models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has greatly restricted the studies on of AD-related drug development. Regarding the causes and mechanisms of AD, some more desirable AD animal models have been developed. In recent years, some transgenic AD animal models have emerged and much facilitate the studies on etiology and pathogenesis of AD. However, this model can not replicate all the features of AD. The most striking distinction is a lack of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), and in some types of transgenic models (especially single transgenic models), no extensive neuronal loss is observed. Although tau protein has been detected in those models by immunohistochemical methods, paired helical filaments (PHF) have never been found. In this article, we are trying to review on some hot topics of development and application of transgenic mouse models in AD research.