A New and More Accurate Mouse Model for Alzheimer’s disease
Introduction Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a neurogenerative disease with two cardinal features: the senile plaque consisting of an amyloid core surrounded by dystrophic neuritic and glial processes; and the neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) composed largely of filamentous hyperphosphorylated tau. A disease similar to AD does not develop naturally in mice or in any other non-human species. Transgenic mice expressing human AD mutations recapitulate only some aspects of the human disease, some of them displaying agedependent formation of amyloid plaques but without neuronal loss or NFT. Researchers at the University of Washington have developed transgenic mice displaying two of the diagnostic pathological hallmarks of AD, i.e., neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques. Technology description Although neurons of the brain do not ever divide after development and birth, growing evidence has suggested a link between cell division and neurodegeneration in AD. Our scientists have generated a mouse model in which expression of the SV40 T antigen, an oncogene and powerful trigger of cell division and DNA replication, is targeted specifically to mature neurons. The SV40 T antigen transgenic mouse is the only in vivo model to date that yields both NFT and plaques, and neuronal loss, following a single genetic manipulation. Business opportunity According to the Alzheimer’s Association, an estimated 4.5 million American have Alzheimer’s disease and by 2050 the number of individuals with Alzheimer’s could range from 11.3 million to 16 million. AD costs American business $61 billion a year, according to a report commissioned by the Alzheimer’s Association. Finding a treatment that could delay onset by five years could reduce the number of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease by nearly 50 percent after 50 years. This technology represents a useful model for identifying the essential elements of AD pathology, and for designing and testing novel therapeutic interventions. For more information on this technology contact:Ariadna Santander Agreements Manager Technology Licensing [email protected] 206-543-1138
Type of Offer: Licensing
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