A decade of modeling Alzheimer's disease in transgenic mice.

It has been over a decade since the first Alzheimer's disease (AD) transgenic mouse models were reported. These models have enabled dramatic advances in our understanding of the pathogenic mechanism in AD and of potential therapeutic approaches to tackling the inexorable clinical progression of the disease. In this article, we discuss the current status of AD mouse models and focus on recent work that has examined the development of the neuropathological lesions observed in AD (plaques and tangles). The relationship between these lesions, neurodegeneration and development of the clinical syndrome will be explored.