Title:Retinal Changes in Transgenic Mouse Models of Alzheimer’s Disease
Volume: 18
Issue: 2
Author(s): Li Guo*, Nivedita Ravindran, Ehtesham Shamsher, Daniel Hill and M. Francesca Cordeiro
Affiliation:
- Glaucoma & Retinal Neurodegeneration Research Group, Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London,United Kingdom
Keywords:
Alzheimer's disease, transgenic mouse models, retina, in vivo imaging, histology, treatment.
Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder, the most common form of
dementia. AD is characterised by amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) in the
brain, in association with neuronal loss and synaptic failure, causing cognitive deficits. Accurate and
early diagnosis is currently unavailable in lifespan, hampering early intervention of potential new treatments.
Visual deficits have been well documented in AD patients, and the pathological changes identified
in the brain are also believed to be found in the retina, an integral part of the central nervous
system. Retinal changes can be detected by real-time non-invasive imaging, due to the transparent
nature of the ocular media, potentially allowing an earlier diagnosis as well as monitoring disease progression
and treatment outcome. Animal models are essential for AD research, and this review has a
focus on retinal changes in various transgenic AD mouse models with retinal imaging and immunohistochemical
analysis as well as therapeutic effects in those models. We also discuss the limitations of
transgenic AD models in clinical translations.