Alzheimer's Disease (AD) Animal Models & CRO Services

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder affecting more than 4 million Americans. AD targets the "thinking" (cognitive) part of the brain and results in severe memory loss, generalized dementia, and ultimately death.

In the brain, AD causes loss and structural alteration of nerve cells ("neurofibrillary tangles") and deposition of spots of a proteinaceous material ("amyloid plaques"). Although the cause of most cases of AD is unknown (sporadic AD), some cases run in families. Aberrant genes in these families have been identified. These genes have then been inserted into transgenic mice, that show many of the neuropathological and clinical features of human AD.

In particular, Biotrofix has access to two strains of AD mice, Tg2576+ mice and presenilin knockout (KO) mice. Tg2576+ mice develop amyloid plaques and memory loss by 9-10 months of age; presenilin KO mice develop widespread neuronal loss and memory loss by 4 months of age. These transgenic mouse models are used to test putative new AD therapies, and generally as models of neurodegeneration and neurodegenerative treatments. Endpoints are behavioral (memory loss) and histological.

Download ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE MODEL (.pdf)