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A novel tau-based rhesus monkey model of Alzheimer's pathogenesis
Beckman D, Chakrabarty P, Ott S, Dao A, Zhou E, Janssen WG, Donis-Cox K, Muller S et al.. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 2021-03-18
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Introduction Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating condition with no effective treatments, with promising findings in rodents failing to translate into successful therapies for patients. Methods Targeting the vulnerable entorhinal cortex (ERC), rhesus monkeys received two injections of an adeno-associated virus expressing a double tau mutation (AAV-P301L/S320F) in the left hemisphere, and control AAV-green fluorescent protein in the right ERC. Noninjected aged-matched monkeys served as additional controls.
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APA 7th
Beckman, D., Chakrabarty, P., Ott, S., Dao, A., Zhou, E., Janssen, W. G., et al. (2021). A novel tau-based rhesus monkey model of Alzheimer's pathogenesis. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12318
Vancouver
Beckman D, Chakrabarty P, Ott S, Dao A, Zhou E, Janssen WG, et al. A novel tau-based rhesus monkey model of Alzheimer's pathogenesis. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. 2021. doi:10.1002/alz.12318. PMID: 33734581.
BibTeX
@article{beckman2021-33734581,
author = {Beckman, D. and Chakrabarty, P. and Ott, S. and Dao, A. and Zhou, E. and Janssen, W. G. and Donis-Cox, K. and Muller, S. and others},
title = {{A novel tau-based rhesus monkey model of Alzheimer's pathogenesis}},
journal = {Alzheimer's \& dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.1002/alz.12318},
pmid = {33734581},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12318}
}
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Key findings
- Methods Targeting the vulnerable entorhinal cortex (ERC), rhesus monkeys received two injections of an adeno-associated virus expressing a double tau mutation (AAV-P301L/S320F) in the left hemisphere, and control AAV-green fluorescent protein in the right ERC.
- Noninjected aged-matched monkeys served as additional controls.
- Results Within 3 months we observed evidence of misfolded tau propagation, similar to what is hypothesized to occur in humans.
- Viral delivery of human 4R-tau also coaptates monkey 3R-tau via permissive templating.
Why it matters
Rhesus monkeys injected with a virus expressing a double tau mutation showed evidence of misfolded tau spreading within 3 months. This is an animal model of Alzheimer's pathogenesis and does not report a treatment, cure, or prevention.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 53/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Alzheimer s & Dementia: journal h-index 228 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2021 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Laboratory or animal study (title names “monkey”) — scores zero |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 106 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 15.1 citations a year over 7 year(s) since 2021 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 8.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 3 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 64 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author John H. Morrison: h-index 106 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: institution h-index 1,331 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 33734581) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 53 / 100 | — |
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