The University of Georgia has been at the forefront of research utilizing transgenic mice.
These genetically modified mice are valuable in studying human diseases due to their genetic similarity to humans, short lifespans, and ease of care.
“A major use of transgenic mice has been to determine what DNA sequences regulate the expression of a gene in specific tissues or at specific times in development,” according to the National Center for Biotechnology.
A biotech company in Texas has created a first-of-their-kind species, woolly mice.
The definition, according to cancer.gov, “Mice that have had DNA from another source put into their DNA. The foreign DNA is put into the nucleus of a fertilized mouse egg. The new DNA becomes part of every cell and tissue of the mouse. These mice are used in the laboratory to study diseases.”
Their use allows for laboratory research into conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. Beyond mice, research is used on trees, insects, and even chestnuts.
How UGA used transgenic mice for Alzheimer’s research
UGA researchers developed the world’s first transgenic mouse model to study Hirano bodies, tiny structures found in nerve cells of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
For years, scientists were unsure if these structures caused this disease or appeared afterward. The UGA study, published in 2011, revealed that Hirano bodies might have a protective role in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
“The new model system will allow Fechheimer [cellular biologist] and his colleagues to study the impact of Hirano bodies in a living, mammalian system and to investigate the pathways for formation and degradation of the bodies,” the research report wrote. “It will also allow them to test whether Hirano bodies promote or modulate the development of pathology or affect the deterioration of learning and memory that characterize both the human disease and the mouse models of these conditions.”
UGA chestnut research
This research, conducted by UGA, was to restore the population of American chestnut trees. The research used a process called somatic embryogenesis to identify and replicate a gene that can combat the blight that devastated the chestnut population in the early 1900s.
The research involved the replanting of 11,000 chestnuts, all carrying a blight-resistant gene.
What is Alzheimer’s disease?
This irreversible brain disorder is a type of dementia, affecting memory, thinking, and behavior.
Is using mice for research wrong?
Using mice in research is common but controversial. Critics cite significant differences between mice and humans, leading to unreliable results and ethical concerns about animals suffering.
Did Donald Trump mean transgenic mice instead of transgendered mice?
During his speech Tuesday night to Congress, President Donald Trump claimed the United States has spent “$8 million in making mice transgender. This is real.” In actuality, the funding was used in research for ways to improve gender-affirming care by studying hormones and the effects they had on mice.
The White House claims to have the proof, by calling CNN ‘Fake News Losers’ and providing a list of studies used in this gender-affirming research.
Vanessa Countryman is the Trending Topics Reporter for the the Deep South Connect Team Georgia. Email her at [email protected]m.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: What are transgenic mice? How did UGA use them for Alzheimer’s research?
