Mouse models in neurological disorders: Applications of non-invasive imaging

Yannic Waerzeggers (1) , Parisa Monfared (1) , Thomas Viel (1) , Alexandra Winkeler (1) , Andreas H. Jacobs (1, 2)

1 University of Cologne
2 European Institute of Molecular Imaging at the University of Muenster

Neuroimaging techniques represent powerful tools to assess disease-specific cellular, biochemical and molecular processes non-invasively . Besides providing precise anatomical localisation and quantification, the most exciting advantage of non-invasive imaging techniques is the opportunity to investigate the spatial and temporal dynamics of disease-specific functional and molecular events longitudinally in intact living organisms, so called molecular imaging (MI). Combining neuroimaging technologies with models of neurological disorders provides unique opportunities to understand the aetiology and pathophysiology of human neurological disorders. In this way, neuroimaging in mouse models of neurological disorders not only can be used for phenotyping specific diseases and monitoring disease progression but also plays an essential role in the development and evaluation of disease-specific treatment approaches. In this way MI is a key technology in translational research, helping to design improved disease models as well as experimental treatment protocols that may afterwards be implemented into clinical routine. The most widely used imaging modalities in animal models to assess anatomical, functional and molecular events are positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and optical imaging (OI). Here, we review the application of neuroimaging in mouse models of neurodegeneration (Parkinson's disease, PD, and Alzheimer's disease, AD) and brain cancer (glioma).

Mots clés: neurodegeneration; Parkinson's disease; Alzheimer's disease; neurooncology; glioma; Neuroimaging; mouse models

Yannic Waerzeggers, Parisa Monfared, Thomas Viel, Alexandra Winkeler, Andreas H. Jacobs. Mouse models in neurological disorders: Applications of non-invasive imaging. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular Basis of Disease, 2010, 1802 (10), pp.819. ⟨10.1016/j.bbadis.2010.04.009⟩. ⟨hal-00616898⟩