What'S New On Alzheimer'S Disease? Insights From Ad Mouse Models

The generation of transgenic mouse models has proven to be a major asset for testing hypotheses about the physiopathological mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). These mice, harboring one or several familial AD-linked mutations, exhibit age-related changes resembling AD pathology, including progressive amyloidogenesis and memory alteration. Although these models do not fully reproduce the clinical picture of the disease, they have guided a profusion of research efforts. These animal models have been essential for the identification and testing of drugs designed to target amyloid species, allowing to launch clinical trials in patients. Furthermore, the characterization of aberrant brain activity and its neuronal substrates in mouse models of AD, encouraged the field to explore the link between brain network abnormalities and AD pathology in patients. This research has led to the identification of new therapeutic targets and the development of several strategies aiming at reducing aberrant cerebral activity in AD patients to reduce their cognitive deficits.