BACKGROUND Transgenic mice expressing mutated amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin (PS)-1 or -2 have been successfully used to model cerebral beta-amyloidosis, one of the characteristic hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. However, the use of many transgenic lines is limited by premature death, low breeding efficiencies and late onset and high inter-animal variability of t...

Synucleinopathies, characterized by intracellular aggregation of α-synuclein protein, share a number of features in pathology and disease progression. However, the vulnerable cell population differs significantly between the disorders, despite being caused by the same protein. While the vulnerability of dopamine cells in the substantia nigra to α-synuclein over-expression, and its link to Parki...

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the major causative disease of dementia and is characterized pathologically by the accumulation of senile plaques (SPs) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in the brain. Although genetic studies show that β-amyloid protein (Aβ), the major component of SPs, is the key factor underlying AD pathogenesis, it remains unclear why advanced age often leads to AD. Interestingl...

Exposure to high levels of aluminium (Al) leads to neurofibrillary degeneration and that Al concentration is increased in degenerating neurons in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Nevertheless, the role of Al in AD remains controversial and there is little proof directly interlinking Al to AD. The major problem in understanding Al toxicity is the complex Al speciation chemistry in biological systems. A...

Since the first description of Parkinson's disease (PD) nearly two centuries ago, a number of studies have revealed the clinical symptoms, pathology, and therapeutic approaches to overcome this intractable neurodegenerative disease. 1-methy-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) and 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) are neurotoxins which produce Parkinsonian pathology. From the animal studies usin...

Current information about Helicobacter infections in humans and various domestic, wild, and research animal species that have been used or have the potential to be used as animal models of human disease is presented. The Helicobacter genus now includes at least 26 formally named species, with additional novel species in the process of being characterized. The natural history, host range with zo...

Mouse models are increasingly being used for the study of human disease, and the generation and functional characterisation of new models is underpinned by high-throughput phenotyping consortia such as the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium. A new study by Adissu and colleagues, published in Disease Models & Mechanisms, demonstrates the usefulness of histopathology in providing corrobor...

Altered autophagy contributes to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies, for which curative treatment options are still lacking. We have recently shown that trehalose reduces tau pathology in a tauopathy mouse model by stimulation of autophagy. Here, we studied the effect of the autophagy inducing drug rapamycin on the progression of tau pathology in P301S mutant tau tran...

Progressive memory loss and cognitive dysfunction are the hallmark clinical features of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Identifying the molecular triggers for the onset of AD-related cognitive decline presently requires the use of suitable animal models, such as the 3xTg-AD mice, which develop both amyloid and tangle pathology. Here, we characterize the onset of learning and memory deficits in this m...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Lacunar ischemic stroke accounts for 25% of all ischemic strokes, but the exact etiology is unknown. Numerous pathophysiologies have been proposed, including atheroma and endothelial dysfunction. Models of any of these pathological features would aid understanding of the etiology and help develop treatments for lacunar stroke. We therefore aimed to assess the relevance of...