PsychoGenics has obtained an exclusive license from the University of South Florida to its APP/PS1 double transgenic mice (US Patent No. 5,898,094), co-expressing the M146L presenilin 1(PS1) mutation and the double mutations at K670N/M671L (Swedish mutation) in the amyloid precursor protein (APP).

The APP/PS1 mice were developed by Dr Karen Duff and Dr John Hardy and extensively studied in collaboration with Dr David Morgan and Dr Marcia Gordon at the University of South Florida. The mice exhibit age-related cognitive impairment and an associated increase in Abeta (1-42). At eight months the mice show a selective impairment of spatial memory which gets progressively worse with age and at 22 months is accompanied by reduced glucose utilization in the hippocampus, a 35 per cent loss of neurons in the CA1 region of the hippocampus, and substantially elevated Abeta load.

“This APP/PS1 mouse model has been extensively characterized and we are delighted to be able to offer it to our clients to help advance Alzheimer’s disease drug discovery. Using our proprietary behavioral testing platforms and other capabilities, we intend to further characterize the model and hope to be able to identify early onset and robust behavioural and physiological measures, as well as translational biomarkers, as we have done for other neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington’s Disease,” remarked Dr Emer Leahy, president and CEO of PsychoGenics.

“The APP/PS1 mouse model together with PsychoGenics’ broad preclinical capabilities offer the Alzheimer’s disease research community valuable tools in its quest for novel treatments for this devastating disease,” commented Dr Donna Herber, senior licensing manager at the University of South Florida.

PsychoGenics is a leader in in vivo phenotypic drug discovery. The Company applies its proprietary technology platforms in partnership with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to discover the next generation of drugs for neuropsychiatric disorders.