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Novati et al. Ageing Neur Dis 2022;2:17 Ageing and
DOI: 10.20517/and.2022.19
Neurodegenerative
Diseases

Review Open Access

Rat models of major neurodegenerative disorders

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Arianna Novati , Elisabeth Singer-Mikosch , Libo Yu-Taeger , Erik Clemensson , Huu Phuc Nguyen #
Department of Human Genetics, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitaetsstrasse 150, Bochum 44801, Germany.
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These authors have contributed equally.
Correspondence to: Prof. Huu Phuc Nguyen, Department of Human Genetics, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitaetsstrasse 150,
Bochum 44801, Germany. E-mail: huu.nguyen-r7w@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
How to cite this article: Novati A, Singer-Mikosch E, Yu-Taeger L, Clemensson E, Nguyen HP. Rat models of major
neurodegenerative disorders. Ageing Neur Dis 2022;2:17. https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/and.2022.19

Received: 29 Jul 2022 First Decision: 6 Sep 2022 Revised: 22 Sep 2022 Accepted: 26 Sep 2022 Published: 19 Oct 2022

Academic Editor: Xiao-Jiang Li Copy Editor: Peng-Juan Wen Production Editor: Peng-Juan Wen

Abstract
No single animal model can recapitulate all the features of a particular human disease on its own. Historically, rats
have been used to study neurobiology and underlying functional networks. Likewise, rat models have been created
to study neurodegenerative mechanisms and therapeutic interventions. In the last decades, a shift towards the use
of mice has been observed in many research fields, not least because of the comparatively easier genetic
manipulation of mice. However, with the full sequence of the rat genome being available, advances in genetic
manipulation of the rat, and advanced test regimens and biomarkers at hand, the rat presents itself once more as a
valuable model organism for studying neurodegenerative disorders. This review provides an overview of currently
available, well-characterized rat models of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease, as
well as their advantages for studying neurodegenerative disorders and evaluating therapeutic interventions.

Keywords: Genetic rat models, phenotypic rat models, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s
disease

INTRODUCTION
Rattus norvegicus, the laboratory rat, was the first mammal to be domesticated and kept in captivity for
research purposes . Over time many inbred rat strains have been obtained to study various physiological
[1,2]
aspects, disease mechanisms, and pharmacological questions. Both mice and rat models have been relied on

© The Author(s) 2022. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
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