Neuron loss in APP transgenic mice

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects a large proportion of the elderly population. Amyloid plaques, which are a neuro-pathological characteristic of AD, have been reproduced in transgenic mice by the overexpression of mutant forms of the amyloid-β precursor protein (APP) known to cause familial AD. Here we report that these mice exhibit selective neuronal death in the brain regions that are most affected in AD, suggesting that amyloid plaque formation is directly involved in AD neuron loss.