Early Intraneuronal β-Amyloid Pathology: Do Transgenic Mice Represent Valid Model Systems?

ABSTRACT

Whereas a plethora of studies focusses on extracellular plaque deposition, only a very limited amount of reports deal with intraneuronal accumulation of Aβ peptides in human AD. However, over the past years, accumulating evidence points to a significant role of intraneuronal Aβ triggering the pathological cascade leading to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Much of the data originate from studies on transgenic mouse models of AD, where initial intraneuronal Aβ accumulation which predes extracellular plaque deposition, has been repeatedly reported. The current review discusses the impact of this finding on the future development of novel mouse models for preclinical research as a basis for therapeutic intervention.

Keywords: