Octodon degus: a natural model of multimorbidity for ageing research.

Octodon degus: a natural model of multimorbidity for ageing research. Ageing Res Rev. 2020 Nov 02;:101204 Authors: Cuenca-Bermejo L, Pizzichini E, Gonzalez-Cuello AM, De Stefano ME, Fernandez-Villalba E, Herrero MT Abstract Integrating the multifactorial processes co-occurring in both physiological and pathological human conditions still remains one of the main challenges in translational investigation. Moreover, the impact of age-associated disorders has increased, which underlines the urgent need to find a feasible model that could help in the development of successful therapies. In this sense, the Octodon degus has been indicated as a 'natural' model in many biomedical areas, especially in ageing. This rodent shows complex social interactions and high sensitiveness to early-stressful events, which have been used to investigate neurodevelopmental processes. Interestingly, a high genetic similarity with some key proteins implicated in human diseases, such as apolipoprotein-E, β-amyloid or insulin, has been demonstrated. On the other hand, the fact that this animal is diurnal has provided important contribution in the field of circadian biology. Concerning age-related diseases, this rodent could be a good model of multimorbidity since it naturally develops cognitive decline, neurodegenerative histopathological hallmarks, visual degeneration, type II diabetes, endocrinological and metabolic dysfunctions, neoplasias and kidneys altera...
Source: Ageing Research Reviews - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Tags: Ageing Res Rev Source Type: research