Aging pet cats develop neuropathology similar to human Alzheimer’s disease

Klug, Jenna; Snyder, Jessica M.; Darvas, Martin; Imai, Denise M.; Church, Molly E.; Latimer, Caitlin S.; Keene, C. Dirk; Ladiges, Warren

doi:10.31491/apt.2020.09.027

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Domestic cats also develop plaques, tangles, and brain atrophy along with cognitive decline with age [ 184 , 236 , 237 ]. Research into age-related cognitive dysfunction in cats is not as well developed as that of dogs, but there is increasing interest in this area [ 185 , 238 , 239 , 240 ].…”

Section: Large Animal Models In Ad Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review of the Current Mammalian Models of Alzheimer’s Disease and Challenges That Need to Be Overcome

Mckean

Handley

Snell

2021

IJMS

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Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the looming health crises of the near future. Increasing lifespans and better medical treatment for other conditions mean that the prevalence of this disease is expected to triple by 2050. The impact of AD includes both the large toll on individuals and their families as well as a large financial cost to society. So far, we have no way to prevent, slow, or cure the disease. Current medications can only alleviate some of the symptoms temporarily. Many animal models of AD have been created, with the first transgenic mouse model in 1995. Mouse models have been beset by challenges, and no mouse model fully captures the symptomatology of AD without multiple genetic mutations and/or transgenes, some of which have never been implicated in human AD. Over 25 years later, many mouse models have been given an AD-like disease and then ‘cured’ in the lab, only for the treatments to fail in clinical trials. This review argues that small animal models are insufficient for modelling complex disorders such as AD. In order to find effective treatments for AD, we need to create large animal models with brains and lifespan that are closer to humans, and underlying genetics that already predispose them to AD-like phenotypes.

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Section: Large Animal Models In Ad Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review of the Current Mammalian Models of Alzheimer’s Disease and Challenges That Need to Be Overcome

Mckean

Handley

Snell

2021

IJMS

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“…While dogs share many similarities with the human AD, cats are one of the only species which displays naturally occurring tau pathologies (Chambers et al 2015 ). It was shown that aging cats share three important similarities with human AD; they have spontaneous development of Aβ dispositions, and they have taupathies and neuronal loss which shares distribution and characteristics with AD (Klug et al 2020 ). Moreover, it has been shown that there is a correlation between the neuronal loss and cognitive dysfunction in aging cats (Takeuchi et al 2008 ).…”

Section: Animal Models For Alzheimer’s Disease: Laboratory Animals Vementioning

confidence: 99%

Feline cognitive dysfunction as a model for Alzheimer’s disease in the research of CBD as a potential treatment—a narrative review

Zadik-Weiss¹,

Ritter²,

Hermush

et al. 2020

J Cannabis Res

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With the improvement in modern medicine, the world’s human and feline (Felis catus, the domestic cat) population is aging. As the population grows older, there is an increase of age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease in humans and feline cognitive dysfunction in felines, which shares many similarities with Alzheimer’s disease. They both result in cognitive decline and lack effective treatments. In light of their pathological similarities, both occur at old age, and as domestic cats share the human environment and risk factors (cats are considered an indicator to the effect of environmental contaminants on humans as they share exposures and diseases), cats have the potential to be a spontaneous model for Alzheimer’s disease. Classic animal models in many cases fail to predict the results in humans, and a natural model can lead to better prediction of results, thus being both time and cost-effective. The feline disease can be researched in trials that could be simultaneously clinical trials for cats and preclinical trials for humans, also referred to as reverse translational medicine. As both maladies lack effective medical intervention, new potential treatments are merited. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a promising agent that may improve the life of these patients, as it was shown to potentially treat several of the pathologies found in both conditions. yet there is a need for further research in order to establish the benefits and safety of CBD to both human and feline patients.

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“…This makes the hunt for relevant biomarkers more difficult and unreliable. The most promising candidate for a model of AD is the domestic cat [7]. Amyloid plaques can be histologically detected in the brain of pet cats as early as 7 years of age [8,9].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Resilience to aging drives personalized intervention strategies for Alzheimer’s disease

Wezeman,

Keely,

Ladiges

2023

APT

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There has been little progress in reducing the incidence and mortality of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Prevention of onset, more accurate diagnostic tools, and prediction of health outcomes have all been identified as critical issues, but more and better basic research approaches are needed. The single greatest risk factor associated with AD is aging. It follows that if aging can be delayed, there should be an equivalent delay or even prevention of the onset of AD neuropathology. Therefore, targeting multiple pathways of aging would be a powerful way to enhance resilience to aging and slow or prevent the onset of AD neuropathology and dementia in a personalized manner. More effective and predictive animal models, such as the aging pet cat that spontaneously develops neuropathology similar to human AD patients, are necessary to help validate noninvasive and inexpensive biomarkers for identifying individuals at risk. Resilience to aging and its ability to delay or prevent the onset of age-related diseases should be the focus for preventing brain aging and enhancing resistance to AD.

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Aging pet cats develop neuropathology similar to human Alzheimer’s disease

Cited by 8 publications

References 17 publications

A Review of the Current Mammalian Models of Alzheimer’s Disease and Challenges That Need to Be Overcome

A Review of the Current Mammalian Models of Alzheimer’s Disease and Challenges That Need to Be Overcome

Feline cognitive dysfunction as a model for Alzheimer’s disease in the research of CBD as a potential treatment—a narrative review

Resilience to aging drives personalized intervention strategies for Alzheimer’s disease

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