Transgenic mice which overexpress neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and methods of use
AssigneeUniversity of Kentucky Research Foundation
InventorsKathryn M. Albers, Brian M. Davis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Transgenic mice express increased levels of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) in epithelium when their ancestors are microinjected with the NT-3 gene. The NT-3 growth factor expressing transgenic mice are useful in the study of neurodegenerative disorders of the brain such as Parkinson's syndrome and Alzheimer's disease, of the spinal cord motor neurons such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and for testing drug candidates for the treatment of these diseases.
Claims7
A transgenic mouse whose somatic and germ cells contain and express an NT-3 transgene encoding mouse neurotrophic growth factor 3 (NT-3), wherein as a result of said expression, the peripheral nervous system of said mouse exhibits the following characteristics:
- (a) NT-3 responsive neurons that are rescued from programmed cell death that normally occurs during the development of said mouse;
- (b) an increase in sensory neurons that express trk C receptor relative to a mouse that does not express said NT-3 transgene;
- and
- (c) larger Merkel cell sensory units in the skin of said mouse than in the skin of a mouse that does not express said NT-3 transgene;
- and further wherein said NT-3 transgene comprises a mouse NT-3 gene operatively linked at its 5' end to a human K14 keratin promoter and enhancer region and operatively linked at its 3' end to a contiguous 1.8 kbp region of the human growth hormone gene, said region comprising (1) an intron of the human growth hormone gene, and (2) a polyadenylation signal sequence.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.