Modeling Alzheimer's disease: from past to future

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Pathology
• Biomedical Science

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a growing global health challenge with significant unmet medical needs.
• Current treatments for AD offer symptomatic relief but lack disease-modifying effects.
• The amyloid hypothesis, implicating amyloid-beta (Aβ) in AD pathogenesis, guides much research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and compare diverse models used for studying Alzheimer's disease pathology.
• To highlight the strengths and limitations of various AD models.
• To explore how these models contribute to understanding disease mechanisms and therapeutic strategies.

Main Methods:

• Overview of invertebrate models for AD research.
• Analysis of rodent models in Alzheimer's disease studies.
• Discussion of computational models and induced pluripotent stem cells for AD pathology.
• Evaluation of the pros and cons of each model type.

Main Results:

• Different models offer unique insights into specific aspects of AD pathogenesis.
• No single model fully recapitulates all facets of Alzheimer's disease.
• Models have been instrumental in defining disease mechanisms and testing therapeutics.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive understanding of AD requires utilizing a range of modeling systems.
• Continued development and application of diverse AD models are crucial for advancing therapeutic interventions.
• Future research may benefit from integrating findings across different model types, including computational and stem cell approaches.