Mice engineered with full human Alzheimer’s genes
Full human gene replacement mouse models of Alzheimer's Disease
Researchers are making mice that carry complete human versions of key Alzheimer’s genes to help scientists learn more about the disease and speed development of future treatments for people with Alzheimer’s.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11297633 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project replaces specific mouse genes with their full human counterparts for genes linked to Alzheimer’s, including APP, PSEN1, PSEN2, MAPT, APOE, TREM2 and others. Each humanized line will include a normal human sequence and at least one line carrying a known risk or disease-causing variant. The mice will be checked for Alzheimer’s-like changes and the validated lines will be combined into broader Alzheimer’s models to better mimic human genetics and pathology. Validated mouse lines will be shared widely through The Jackson Laboratory so other researchers can use them.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People living with Alzheimer’s disease or those with known genetic risk factors (for example, APOE ε4 carriers) are the populations most likely to benefit from research that uses these models and could be candidates for future human studies informed by this work.
Not a fit: Individuals looking for immediate clinical treatments or people without Alzheimer’s-related risk are unlikely to receive direct or immediate benefit from this mouse-model research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these more human-like mouse models could make preclinical testing more predictive and help speed development of effective treatments for people with Alzheimer’s.
How similar studies have performed: Researchers have previously made humanized genes in mice with some success, but replacing full human alleles across multiple Alzheimer’s genes at this scale is a newer and more comprehensive approach.
Where this research is happening
Minneapolis, United States
- University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Koob, Michael D — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Koob, Michael D
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.