title: Genetically engineered mouse models of neurodegenerative diseases.
abstract: Recent research has significantly advanced our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and motor neuron disease. Here we emphasize the use of genetically engineered mouse models that are instrumental for understanding why AD is a neuronal disease, and for validating attractive therapeutic targets. In motor neuron diseases, Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase and survival motor neuron mouse models are useful in testing disease mechanisms and therapeutic strategies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal motor atrophy, respectively, but the mechanisms that account for selective motor neuron loss remain uncertain. We anticipate that, in the future, therapies based on understanding disease mechanisms will be identified and tested in mouse model systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 558 Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21205-2196, USA. wong@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Philip C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Huaibin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Borchelt
authors.forename: Donald L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Price
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D051379:Mice; D016472:Motor Neuron Disease / Q000235:genetics; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D013482:Superoxide Dismutase