Mechanisms of aluminium neurotoxicity in oxidative stress-induced ...

INTRODUCTION
mouse models, such as Pitx3-aphakia mouse or Engrailed double knock-out mouse,
were developed on the basis of genes crucial for development and survival of DAergic
neurons (Nunes et al. 2003, Sgado et al. 2006, Ding et al. 2007). Recently, tissue-
specific knock-out mouse models targeting the expression of genes of interest in a
region- or neuron-specific manner were created (Gelman et al. 2003, Ekstrand et al.
2004, Lindeberg et al. 2004, Backet et al. 2005, Zhuang et al. 2005, Backman et al.
2006, Borgkvist et al. 2006, Turiault et al. 2007).
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As there is no experimental PD model to date that mimics exactly the
pathogenesis and progression happening in PD, one priority at this time is to develop an
experimental model of PD that reproduces the clinical and pathological features of PD,
such as progressive loss of DAergic neurons in the striatum and SN, LB-like inclusion
in the brain, and L-DOPA-responsive movement disorder.