A metabolic syndrome mouse model that displays all related disorders

Invention 16129

A metabolic syndrome mouse model that displays all related disorders

A metabolic syndrome mouse model that displays every aspect of the associated diseases has been developed at McGill University.

Market Need

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Among the conditions associated with metabolic syndrome, related liver disorders such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) have recently been recognized as a major area of need. Unlike many of the other conditions associated with metabolic syndrome, though, diabetes related liver disorders have no designated treatments or reliable animal models. While there are some mouse models that exist, they do not accurately represent metabolic syndrome as they rely on genetic alterations not present in humans and do not display necessary phenotypes.

Technology Summary

This technology is a mouse model for every aspect of human Metabolic Syndrome, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and insulin resistance. The phenotype also includes related liver diseases NASH and NAFLD, as well as modeling prostate cancer. Molecularly, it was created with a knock-in methodology by replacing the mouse androgen receptor counterpart with a precise human polymorphic androgen receptor sequence. Based on the conditions displayed by this mouse model, drug treatments can be studied for every aspect of Metabolic Syndrome and all of its associated disorders. Compared to current mouse models, this new technology importantly displays a wide array of the disorders associated with Metabolic Syndrome with minimal alteration of normal disease pathways.

Advantages

• Metabolic Syndrome is developed in the mouse on a regular diet and without significant genetic alteration
• Research model for a number of metabolic syndrome associated conditions
  • Development of new drugs to treat related liver disorders NASH and NAFLD
  • Explore mechanisms responsible for beta cell exhaustion seen in Type 2 diabetes
  • Discover natural biologics to regenerate beta cells
• Displays widest available array of disorders associated with Metabolic Syndrome in a single mouse model

Patent Status

Filed US, CA