title: Mouse Models of Alzheimer's Disease.
abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that nowadays affects more than 40 million people worldwide and it is predicted to exponentially increase in the coming decades. Because no curative treatment exists, research on the pathophysiology of the disease, as well as the testing of new drugs, are mandatory. For these purposes, animal models constitute a valuable, although perfectible tool. This review takes a tour through several aspects of mouse models of AD, such as the generation of transgenic models, the relevance of the promoter driving the expression of the transgenes, and the concrete transgenes used to simulate AD pathophysiology. Then, transgenic mouse lines harboring mutated human genes at several loci such as APP, PSEN1, APOEɛ4, and ob (leptin) are reviewed. Therefore, not only the accumulation of the Aβ peptide is emulated but also cholesterol and insulin metabolism. Further novel information about the disease will allow for the development of more accurate animal models, which in turn will undoubtedly be helpful for bringing preclinical research closer to clinical trials in humans.
authors.affiliation: Protein Folding and Stability Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.|Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Unitat de Citologia i Histologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
authors.forename: Gisela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Esquerda-Canals
authors.affiliation: Protein Folding and Stability Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
authors.forename: Laia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Montoliu-Gaya
authors.affiliation: Protein Folding and Stability Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
authors.forename: Jofre
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Güell-Bosch
authors.affiliation: Protein Folding and Stability Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Villegas
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008822:Mice, Transgenic
keywords: APP; Alzheimer’s disease; PS1; amyloid-β; animal models; apoE; ob mutation