Home › Research › Disease mechanisms
Twenty years of therapeutic development in tauopathy mouse models: a scoping review
Vanessa F. Langness, Danielle A. Simmons, Tyne L.M. McHugh, Robert R. Butler, James Zhou, Harry Liu, Tao Yang, Lisa Ellerby et al.. Alzheimer s & Dementia, 2025-08-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Tauopathies are neurodegenerative diseases characterized by pathological tau protein inclusions and dementia. Tauopathy mouse models with MAPT mutations replicate tau-related pathologies and are widely used for therapeutic research. This scoping review examines 409 treatment evaluations in MAPT mouse models. We identify trends in therapeutic strategies and frequently used mouse models, treatment routes, and endpoints. We also document treatment effects and when treatment is initiated relative to tau pathology emergence. Many treatments produced positive effects in multiple MAPT mouse models across many endpoints but showed limited success in clinical trials. Potential barriers to mouse-to-human translation include differences between mouse and human studies in the timing of treatment initiation relative to tau pathology onset, predominant testing of a limited number of endpoints, lack of translatable treatment response biomarkers, and the limited ability of individual mouse models to represent the diversity of tauopathies. Addressing these obstacles could improve mouse-to-human translation for tauopathy therapeutics. HIGHLIGHTS: Two decades of therapeutic research in tauopathy mouse models were reviewed. Treatments often began before or at tau pathology onset in tauopathy mouse models. Key endpoints (e.g., cognition and synaptic degeneration) were underassessed. Well-characterized preclinical treatments often had limited success in humans. Single-sex mouse studies and a lack of biomarkers hinder clinical translation.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Langness, V. F., Simmons, D. A., McHugh, T. L., Butler, R. R., Zhou, J., Liu, H., et al. (2025). Twenty years of therapeutic development in tauopathy mouse models: a scoping review. Alzheimer s & Dementia. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70578
Vancouver
Langness VF, Simmons DA, McHugh TL, Butler RR, Zhou J, Liu H, et al. Twenty years of therapeutic development in tauopathy mouse models: a scoping review. Alzheimer s & Dementia. 2025. doi:10.1002/alz.70578. PMID: 40826256.
BibTeX
@article{langness2025-40826256,
author = {Langness, Vanessa F. and Simmons, Danielle A. and McHugh, Tyne L.M. and Butler, Robert R. and Zhou, James and Liu, Harry and Yang, Tao and Ellerby, Lisa and others},
title = {{Twenty years of therapeutic development in tauopathy mouse models: a scoping review}},
journal = {Alzheimer s \& Dementia},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1002/alz.70578},
pmid = {40826256},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70578}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- HIGHLIGHTS: Two decades of therapeutic research in tauopathy mouse models were reviewed.
- Treatments often began before or at tau pathology onset in tauopathy mouse models.
- Key endpoints (e.g., cognition and synaptic degeneration) were underassessed.
- Well-characterized preclinical treatments often had limited success in humans.
- Single-sex mouse studies and a lack of biomarkers hinder clinical translation.
Why it matters
This scoping review of 409 treatment evaluations in tauopathy mouse models found many treatments worked in mice but showed limited success in clinical trials. It identifies barriers to mouse-to-human translation, such as differences in treatment timing and lack of translatable biomarkers.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Alzheimer s & Dementia) |
| 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 | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 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 “mouse”) — scores zero |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 9 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 3.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 9 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Frank M. Longo: h-index 64 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Stanford University: institution h-index 2,684 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40826256) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Related
Studies in the library that share something with this one. The line above each title says what.
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 24.
Related studies in Disease mechanisms
Also tagged “phosphorylated”
733 studies in the library carry the topic tag “phosphorylated”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 733 tagged studies.