NanoString Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:NSTG), a provider of life science tools for translational research and molecular diagnostic products, today announced a collaboration with the MODEL-AD consortium that has resulted in the development of two nCounter® gene expression panels for use in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research, and the presentation of data from several studies at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2019 meeting. The development of the panels is described in detail, highlighting that data from AD patients was used to identify the key gene groupings to be assayed in animal models (Carter et al). In addition, the panel was used for initial characterization of novel mouse models of late-onset AD (Howell et al).
Historically, AD research and drug development have been hampered by the lack of mouse models that accurately recapitulate the disease. The MODEL-AD consortium was established in 2016 to facilitate preclinical research in Alzheimer’s disease, and is funded by a $25 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The consortium, consisting of researchers at Indiana University (IU), The Jackson Laboratory (JAX), University of Pittsburgh, Sage Bionetworks, and the University of California Irvine, focuses on developing and characterizing AD animal models, aligning them with corresponding stages of clinical disease using translatable biomarkers, and ensuring their availability to all researchers for use in preclinical drug development, along with guidelines, protocols, and validation data.
“There is a need for novel mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease as our current models are insufficient to accurately mimic human disease,” said Bruce Lamb, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Paul and Carole Stark Neurosciences Research Institute at Indiana University. “A reproducible method to characterize novel mouse models could help establish clinical gold standards in the field.”
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