Modelling human neuronal catecholaminergic pigmentation in rodents recapitulates age-related neurodegenerative deficits.

ABSTRACT: One key limitation in developing effective treatments for neurodegenerative diseases is the lack of models accurately mimicking the complex physiopathology of the human disease. Humans accumulate with age the pigment neuromelanin inside neurons that synthesize catecholamines. Neurons reaching the highest neuromelanin levels preferentially degenerate in Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and apparently healthy aging individuals. However, this brain pigment is not taken into consideration in current animal models because common laboratory species, such as rodents, do not produce neuromelanin. Here we generate a tissue-specific transgenic mouse, termed tgNM, that mimics the human age-dependent brain-wide distribution of neuromelanin within catecholaminergic regions, based on the constitutive catecholam

SUBMITTER: Laguna A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11470033 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature