Neuromag November 2017 | Page 24

Of mice and men Written by Michael Paolillo You have most surely seen an image of the iconic lab mouse, a pristinely white rodent with dark red eyes standing on its hindlegs while looking quizzically up at the camera. Less certain is what the mouse is used for, but at some level we imagine the mouse as a miniature human. Scientists use mice and other animal models to unravel the complexities of aging, perception, and memory. The insights gained from this work are then used to develop better treatments for breast cancer, back pain, and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and the many other afflictions that plague our loved ones – and perhaps even ourselves. The focus of this article is to shine some light on the question – How valid are our models? – and the imperative to continuously improve upon them if we are to conduct the best science possible. I am a scientist and work with mice, albeit not the white-furred, red-eyed version so often seen in movies. The mice I work with are the more tradi- tional staple of a mouse laboratory known as C57BL/6 or colloquially as ‘black 6’. All around the world, scientific researchers use black 6 to investigate a multitude of scientific questions (Fig. 1 - 3). One of the greatest achieve- ments of modern science was to se- quence all 3.2 billion nucleotides of the human genome and shortly thereafter geneticists moved on to decode our furry friend black 6’s genetic code. Molecular biology techniques allow scientists to add and remove most any of the ∼23,000 genes from the mouse genome to answer questions such as, ‘Does this gene and subsequent protein influence neuronal death?’ or ‘If we target this enzyme can we re- duce the chance of heart attack for at-risk patients?’ Utilizing genetically modified mice, we can gain a glimpse into the complex workings of a liv- ing, breathing, moving organism. It is the ultimate goal of many scientists to translate the knowledge gained at their sterile lab bench to the ailing patient’s bedside. This begs the ques- tion, ‘Does the knowledge gained from our rodent companions result in better 24 | NEUROMAG |November 2017 treatments for grandma’s breast can- cer, Uncle George’s chronic back pain, and mom’s worsening memory?’ It seems like it should, right? Figure 1. C57BL/6 or ‘black 6‘, one of the commonly used mouse strains. Source: Charles River Laboratories International