Comprehensive analyses of molecules with altered expression in the brain of a mouse model of down syndrome for identification of pharmacotherapeutic targets

Abstract

Down syndrome, caused by the triplication of human chromosome 21, is the most frequent genetic cause of mental retardation. Mice with a segmental trisomy for mouse chromosome 16, which is orthologous to human chromosome 21, exhibit abnormalities similar to those in individuals with Down syndrome and therefore offer the opportunity for a genotype-phenotype correlation. In the current review, I present several mouse lines with trisomic regions of various lengths and discuss their usefulness for elucidating the mechanisms underlying Down syndrome-associated developmental cognitive disabilities. In addition, our recent comprehensive study attempting to identify molecules with disturbed expression in the brain of a mouse model of Down syndrome in order to develop a pharmacologic therapy for Down syndrome is described.