Researchers from Athena Neurosciences Inc. reported Tuesdaythat they have developed a transgenic mouse model forAlzheimer's disease.

This mouse has been genetically engineered to overproduce thehuman beta amyloid protein, the protein that accumulates inthe senile plaques that are characteristic of theneurodegenerative disease. As such, the mouse might providethe first real animal model system for testing potentialtherapies for Alzheimer's, which afflicts more than 2.5 millionpeople annually in the U.S. alone.

A team of scientists from the South San Francisco, Calif.,company (NASDAQ:ATHN) led by Lisa McConlogue, associatedirector of molecular biology, presented the research results atthe annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience held inWashington, D.C.

McConlogue and her colleagues inserted into mouse embryosthe gene for the "Swedish" mutant form of the amyloidprecursor protein (APP), from which the beta-amyloid proteinis derived. (The "Swedish" mutation causes a severe, early-onset form of familial Alzheimer's disease in some members ofa Swedish family pedigree.)

Last year, researchers from Athena and independent groups atboth Harvard University and Case Western Reserve Universitydemonstrated that this gene can cause a six- to eightfoldoverproduction of the beta amyloid protein when inserted intotissue cultured cells.

"We have now demonstrated that the transgenic mice(containing the Swedish gene) overproduce the human form ofbeta-amyloid in their brain cells," explained Ivan Lieberburg,vice president of Alzheimer's research at Athena. "As far as weknow, this is the first such animal to demonstrate this."

Lieberburg added that those mice, which are not yet a year old,haven't been examined for neuropathology.

-- Jennifer Van Brunt Senior Editor

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