Animal Models of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Neurodegenerative diseases become more frequent with age and are a large part of the factors affecting the health of the elderly, imposing a huge medical and economic burden on society. Research into the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases as well as therapeutic approaches continues to face great challenges and requires continuous technological advances.
Our company applies our expertise in behavioral testing to the research of neurodegenerative diseases and is committed to providing reliable assessment methods for disease models to support innovative program research for our clients worldwide.
Overview of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Neurodegenerative disease is a cognitive disorder that results gradually from the loss of neuronal structure and function. These diseases are complex in nature and are usually the result of a combination of genetic and environmental pathogenic factors. These disorders are usually associated with aging, and symptoms include memory loss, motor impairment, behavioral changes, and many other aspects.
Fig. 1 Neuropathological features of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. (De, 2021)
Causes of Neurodegenerative Diseases
| Pathogenesis | Description |
|---|---|
| Protein misfolding and aggregation | Misfolded protein aggregates lead to cytotoxic neurofibrillary tangles and plaques in neuronal cells. |
| Neuroinflammation | CNS inflammation occurs in response to toxic stimuli, infection, traumatic injury or stimulation by autoimmune signals. |
| Altered cell signaling | Abnormal intercellular communication can lead to the development of neurodegenerative diseases. |
| Acquired cellular senescence/death | Mutations in proteins associated with cell death pathways such as apoptosis, necroptosis and autophagy are associated with the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. |
| Impaired cell movement | Studies have shown that multiple proteins related to AD are associated with the regulation of neuronal migration. |
| Epigenetics | DNA methylation and histone modifications have recently been implicated in AD and PD, but the exact impact on disease is unknown. |
The Neurodegenerative Disease Models We Provide
The mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and other diseases are still unclear, so the successful establishment of animal models that can mimic human-related diseases will provide an important basic platform for studying their pathogenesis and drug screening.
Evaluation of Neurodegenerative Disease Models
The ideal disease model needs to satisfy the consistency of etiology and pathology with human diseases while simulating the core symptoms of the disease well. Behavioral science plays a crucial role by identifying specific symptoms in animal models of these human diseases. Our company has established various objective evaluation tools to evaluate the corresponding disease models. The behavioral assessment methods we offered including but not limited to the following.
| Behavior | Testing Methods | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cognitive | Morris water maze test | Barnes maze test | Radial arm maze test |
| Y-maze test | T-maze test | 5-CSRTT test | |
| Touch screen test | |||
| Anxiety | Elevated plus maze test | Open field test | Light-dark box test |
| Sucrose preference test | Forced swimming test | Tail suspension test | |
| Social | Three-chamber test | Social interactions test | |
| Motor | Beam test | Rotarod test | General locomotor test |
| Gait analysis test | Pole test | Rearing cylinder test | |
| Ladder rung walking test | |||
Our company is committed to combining our specialized experimental platform and extensive scientific knowledge to jointly provide effective research models for the development of the field of neuroscience. If you are interested, please contact us and describe your specific research, and we will be happy to assist you.
Reference
- De, B. A. F.; et al. Animal models of metabolic disorders in the study of neurodegenerative diseases: an overview. Frontiers in Neuroscience. 2021: 1457.