Going beyond established model systems of Alzheimer's disease: companion animals provide novel insights into the neurobiology of aging.

ABSTRACT: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by brain plaques, tangles, and cognitive impairment. AD is one of the most common age-related dementias in humans. Progress in characterizing AD and other age-related disorders is hindered by a perceived dearth of animal models that naturally reproduce diseases observed in humans. Mice and nonhuman primates are model systems used to understand human diseases. Still, these model systems lack many of the biological characteristics of Alzheimer-like diseases (e.g., plaques, tangles) as they grow older. In contrast, companion animal models (cats and dogs) age in ways that resemble humans. Both companion animal models and humans show evidence of brain atrophy, plaques, and tangles, as well as cognitive decline with age. We embrace a One Health perspecti

SUBMITTER: de Sousa AA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10284893 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature