PsychoGenics Inc. Obtains A License To ?-Synuclein Transgenic Mouse Models Of Parkinson's Disease

TARRYTOWN, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PsychoGenics announced today that it has obtained a license from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine to two of their a-synuclein transgenic mouse models, over-expressing human wild type a-synuclein under control of the PDGF-promoter and the murine Thy-1 promoter. Both models are established and accepted as extremely valuable tools to research the contribution of a-synuclein in the pathogenesis of Parkinson´s disease.

“In combination with our technologies for assessing behavior, PsychoGenics will be able to provide research support leading to the discovery of much needed new therapeutics.”

The D-line a-synuclein mouse model, which expresses human wild type a-synuclein under control of the PDGF promoter, was the first published synuclein mouse model to show a Lewy body-like pathology in different structures of the brain. The a-synuclein pathology is progressive; the mice show loss of dopaminergic nerve endings in the striatum and they exhibit a clear motor phenotype with increasing age. These mice represent a robust and highly reproducible model of Lewy body- and Parkinson’s disease.

The Line-61 a-synuclein mouse model expressing human wild type a-synuclein under control of murine Thy-1 promoter shows high a-synuclein levels with a-synuclein aggregates spread over the entire brain. Due to the high expression, these mice develop motor deficits early in their life which progress and at a later age they also display cognitive deficits. Line 61 was compared to several other a-synuclein models in a Michael J. Fox Foundation sponsored study and preliminary results suggest an early and robust phenotype consistent with the literature.

PsychoGenics will now offer a broad suite of services in both of these models to biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Using their proprietary technologies, in particular NeuroCube^®, PsychoGenics will provide a detailed analysis of the motor deficits and expects to be able to detect motor changes even earlier than previously reported based on its experience with other models. This would enable companies to explore prevention or early intervention treatment protocols.

“Both models were developed in the laboratory of Eliezer Masliah, MD, at the University of California San Diego, School of Medicine within the Department of Neurosciences (Masliah et al Science 2000 and Rockenstein et al J Neuroscie Res 2002) and are useful tools for the development of novel treatments for Parkinson´s disease,” said Emer Leahy, PhD, President and CEO of PsychoGenics. “In combination with our technologies for assessing behavior, PsychoGenics will be able to provide research support leading to the discovery of much needed new therapeutics.”

About PsychoGenics

PsychoGenics is a leader in in vivo phenotypic drug discovery. The company applies its proprietary technology platforms in partnership with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to discover the next generation of drugs for neuropsychiatric disorders. PsychoGenics' capabilities also include standard behavioral testing, electrophysiology, molecular biology and state-of-the-art microdialysis. In addition, the company offers a variety of in-licensed transgenic mouse models that support research in areas such as Huntington’s disease, Autism spectrum disorders, psychosis/schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), muscular dystrophy and other muscle disorders.