Lack of Animal Model Hinders Alzheimer's Disease Research

Alzheimer's Association
Thursday, 22 October 1998

New study describes mouse model that may be a step forward

Progress in effectively treating and preventing Alzheimer's disease is seriously limited by the lack of a complete animal model for the disease, but a new study shows we may be getting closer to developing a more useful model, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

"Our goal of creating a world without Alzheimer's is made much more difficult by not having a good animal model for the disease," said William Thies, Ph.D., vice president of Medical and Scientific Affairs for the Alzheimer's Association. "Animal models of the changes that occur in the brains of people with Alzheimer's would give scientists the ability to screen a large number of drugs in an inexpensive system. That would be a major step forward."

A study published in the October 22, 1998 issue of the journal Nature describes a mouse bred with a genetic mutation similar to one that causes one type of Alzheimer's disease in people. This mouse, for the first time, demonstrates brain cell death in regions of the brain similar to that seen in Alzheimer's disease in humans. The mouse also has protein build-ups in the brain, known as amyloid plaques, as do people with Alzheimer's disease. Previous mouse models had amyloid buildup, but did not clearly demonstrate loss of brain cells, which is a significant part of the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

"This study may bring us a step closer to a realistic animal model for Alzheimer's disease," Thies said. "So far, scientists have created animals that model particular parts of the disease, but not the entire disease process. More work needs to be done on this new mouse and other models to establish that they closely match the effects of Alzheimer's disease in humans."

Without a medical breakthrough before the baby boomers reach the age of highest risk, 14 million Americans could be afflicted by Alzheimer's disease by the year 2050. The Association is calling on Congress to appropriate an additional $100 million to the National Institutes of Health this year for Alzheimer's disease research.

For more information, or to contact Alzheimer's Association, see their website at: www.alz.org