Generation and Identification of Mutations Resulting in Chronic and Age‐Related Phenotypes in Mice

Abstract

Aging is inevitable, and our society must deal with the consequences: namely, an increased incidence of disease and ill health. Many mouse models of disease are acute or early onset or are induced in young mice, despite the fact that aging is a significant risk factor for a range of significant diseases. To improve modeling of such diseases, we should incorporate aging into our models. Many systems are affected by aging, with a decline in mitochondrial function, an increase in senescence, a loss of resilience, telomere shortening, and a decline in immune function being key factors in the increased susceptibility to disease that is associated with aging. To develop novel models of age-related disease, we undertook a phenotype-driven screen of a pipeline of mutagenized mice. Here, we describe some of the underlying protocols and outline important aspects to consider when studying aged mice. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

A primer on ageing studies in mice: Considerations, opportunities and limitations

“…As with other studies, strict protocols are required to generate reproducible results [35,36]. In general, most phenotypic tests applied to younger mice can also be applied to older mice but there may be subtle variations in technique.…”