Transgenic Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease with Age-Dependent Hypokinetic Motor Deficits, Dopaminergic Neuron Loss, and Alpha Synuclein Accumulation

UCLA inventors have developed a novel mouse model of Parkinson's disease (PD) exhibiting late onset behavioral and neuropathological phenotypes. Unlike currently used methods, this transgenic mouse model exhibits age-dependent progression of the disease.

Existing genetic mouse models based on known Parkinson's disease mutations recapitulate aspects of dopaminergic (DA) neuron dysfunction without exhibiting progressive degeneration of DA cell bodies. Furthermore, other genetic models, based on genes not linked to familial PD, do exhibit a DA neuron degeneration phenotype. However, in most cases, the loss of DA neurons occurs early in development, and its direct relevance to PD remains hypothetical.

UCLA scientists have developed a mouse model of Parkinson's disease with late onset behavioral and neuropathological phenotypes. This novel mammalian genetic model can be used to study the mechanisms underlying age-dependent and the slowly progressive form of DA neuron degeneration.

Transgenic mouse model characterization has been completed.