Development of AD Modeling Viruses

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease, mainly characterized by memory loss and impaired learning ability. Neuropathologically, AD brains exhibit amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition as extracellular plaques and intra-neuronal neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) composed of hyperphosphorylated microtubule-associated Tau proteins. To understand AD pathogenesis, Alfa Cytology provides AD transgenic models and AAV-induced AD model construction services as well as offers AD modelling-related viral products.

We provide AD modeling services and modeling-related viral products

AD transgenic modeling

Transgenic models are genetically modifying the existing genetic makeup or changing the position of the target gene on the normal chromosome. We offer a variety of transgenic mouse models for accelerated accumulation of Aβ and Tau tangles, including APP23, TgCRND8, TgCRND8, APPPS1, and many other different strains.

AAV-induced AD models

We have constructed AD models by expressing AAV-mediated genes through different routes of administration, including AAV-AD models by stereotactic injection of adeno-associated viral vectors to express tau or amyloid precursor proteins in the hippocampus of mice.

AD modelling-related products

Technical advantages

We were able to induce and generate a large number of AD animal models in a short period using AAV viruses, which compensated for the disadvantages of the long period, a small number, and the expensive price of obtaining transgenic animal models. AAV virus can be specifically expressed in different nuclei, which is important for studying the loop mechanism behind the clinical symptoms of AD. Moreover, by adjusting the dosage of the virus, we were able to induce the phenotype of neurodegenerative diseases from mild to severe in animals.

The three major genetic markers of AD, including APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2, are known to be associated with increased Aβ production and ultimately nerve cell death and dementia. Alfa Cytology also offers a range of gene-edited mouse models, as well as custom or collaborative development of gene-edited mouse models in response to researchers' needs. These include knockout, knock-in, point mutation, humanized mouse models, and surgical disease models in mice and rats to accelerate AD pharmacodynamic validation experiments. Please contact us for more technical solutions.