Alzheimer’s Disease – APP Transgenic Mice
Test putative Alzheimer’s disease therapeutics using APP transgenic mice with amyloid beta plaque deposition and the downstream pathological events
APP Transgenic Mice Key Characteristics
The histopathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are extracellular plaques composed of Amyloid Beta (Aβ) and intracellular inclusions of the protein Tau (neurofibrillary tangles). Cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) leads to the generation of amyloid beta (Aβ) protein fragments.
Mouse models of amyloid pathology, namely APP transgenic mice, (over)express the human APP with familial AD-related mutations. Accordingly, APP transgenic mice recapitulate the Aβ aggregation cascade by expressing higher levels of the toxic Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 peptides. The biological and associated behavioural deficits observed in amyloid models make them a highly valuable model of AD, suitable for preclinical efficacy studies.
InnoSer offers unique contract research services using several mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease, including a range of APP transgenic models. APP Transgenic models can be used to study downstream pathological events such as neuroinflammation. As all transgenic models present with amyloid plaques, inflammation and cognitive deficits in different timeframes; the choice of the model ultimately depends on experimental compound’s mechanism of action and your research goals. Therefore, we recommend discussing your study setup in close collaboration with our experts.
✓ Humanized APP (APP-SAA Targeted Replacement) mouse model.
✓ APP[V717I]xTau[P301L] double transgenic mouse model.
Take advantage of InnoSer’s expertise, flexibility, and collaborative approach for your research. Our in-house neurology experts have long-standing experience with modeling AD in vivo and are happy to help guide your decision on choosing the best model fit for your current research goals.
InnoSer’s neurology expert team possesses relevant experience in working with multiple therapy types, including small molecules, peptides, enzymes, oligonucleotides, gene therapy (viral vectors, e.g., AAVs), and immunotherapies (antibody/vaccine immunotherapies).
Your Alzheimer’s Disease Research Starts Here.
Explore our expertly curated comparison of available mouse models to make faster, data-driven decisions. View example study timeline, recommended readouts, and example data featuring validation datasets across the different mouse models.
APP Transgenic Mice Sample Data

Amyloid mouse models show an impaired cognitive performance during the CognitionWall™ Discrimination learning
This deficit is already apparent at 12 weeks of age, before the appearance of plaques (~26 weeks). At 16 weeks, this deficit in discrimination learning can be rescued by an acute dose of the BACE1 inhibitor LY2886721. Using the CognitionWall™, we developed a one-night automated test to efficiently identify discrimination learning impairments in mice, without time-consuming handling of mice. The CognitionWall™ is a wall with three entrances in front of a food dispenser. Mice are rewarded with a food reward when they choose to pass through one of the three entrances. The rate at which a mouse gains a relative preference for the rewarded entrance is used as a measure of discrimination learning.

BACE1 inhibitors lower Aβ levels in plasma and brain
The number and size of amyloid plaques and associated neuroinflammation can be quantified after immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of brain slices. Aβ levels can be quantified in the brain, cerebrospinal fluid, and blood using ultra-sensitive immunoassays.

ARTE10 mice show progressive Aβ plaques (X04) and astrogliosis
In ARTE10 mice, methoxy-X04-positive amyloid plaque deposition is detected at 6 months (6M) of age, which becomes more pronounced at 10 months of age (10M). This is associated with reactive astrocytes (GFAP) around the plaques.

ARTE10 mice show progressive Aβ plaque (X04) deposition
In ARTE10 mice, methoxy-X04-positive amyloid plaque deposition is detected at 6 months (6M) of age, which becomes more pronounced at 10 months of age (10M).

ARTE10 mice show progressive astrogliosis
In ARTE10 mice, methoxy-X04-positive amyloid plaque deposition is detected at 6 months (6M) of age, which becomes more pronounced at 10 months of age (10M). This is associated with reactive astrocytes (GFAP) around the plaques.

Reactive microglia around plaques in ARTE10 mice
Iba1 (general microglia marker), shows clusters of microglia in ARTE10 mice. CD11B (neuroinflammation-related microglia marker) shows increases signal around plaques. MHC-II (neuroinflammation-related microglia marker) shows increased signal around the plaques.
APP Transgenic Mice Readouts
Biological Readouts
Test the efficacy of your treatments with the following biological readouts:
- MSD: Plasma, CSF, and brain (e.g., Aβ, cytokines, NfL).
- (Digital) histopathology
- Immunohistochemistry (e.g., Aβ plaques, phosphorylated Tau, microglia & astrocyte activation)
- Immunofluorescence and FISH
The People Behind Your Research

Sofie Carmans, PhD
Principal Scientist Neurology

Thomas Vogels, PhD
Principal Scientist Neurology
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the APP/PS1 mouse model?
APP/PS1 mouse models are double-transgenic Alzheimer’s disease mouse models widely used in preclinical research to evaluate the efficacy of novel therapeutics targeting amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology. These models co-express mutant human amyloid precursor protein (APP) together with mutant presenilin-1 (PS1), two genes associated with early-onset familial Alzheimer’s disease.
PS1 mutations alter γ-secretase activity, shifting APP processing toward longer, more aggregation-prone Aβ species—particularly Aβ42. This accelerates amyloid plaque formation in the brain, making APP/PS1 models especially suitable for studying amyloid deposition, neuroinflammation, downstream neuronal injury, and cognition-related endpoints within experimentally feasible timelines.
Because of their robust and reproducible amyloid pathology, APP/PS1 mouse models remain among the most commonly used Alzheimer’s disease models in preclinical efficacy research.
InnoSer frequently performs preclinical efficacy studies in across multiple APP/PS1 mouse models, including APP[V717I]xPS1[A246E] line as well as the widely available ARTE10 APPxPS1 mouse model line.
Although both models display robust amyloid pathology, important differences exist in pathology onset, disease progression, phenotype and optimal study timelines.
These distinctions are critical when selecting the most suitable model for your therapeutic program and are outlined in detail in respective mouse model webpages for your further reference.
Which transgenic APP mouse model should I choose for preclinical efficacy evaluation of my Alzhiemer’s disease-targeting compound?
Selecting the appropriate transgenic APP mouse model depends on your scientific objectives, target pathway, and required disease kinetics. If your program requires rapid proof-of-concept data, early plaque pathology, and integrated pathology–cognition readouts within a short experimental timeline, double transgenic APP/PS1 models are often preferred due to their accelerated amyloid deposition.
In contrast, single transgenic APP models such as the APP[V717I] mouse model may be better suited for studies focused on slower, age-dependent amyloid progression, disease modification, or long-term biomarker evolution.
Beyond pathology onset, practical considerations such as model availability, reproducibility across cohorts, compatibility with behavioral and fluid biomarkers, and historical benchmarking should also guide model selection.
InnoSer’s team routinely advises on these aspects to ensure that each study is fit-for-purpose rather than model-driven.
Do different transgenic APP mouse models differ in amyloid-β species composition?
Yes, due to the presence of familial Alzheimer’s disease mutations in APP and PS1, single transgenic APP as well as the double transgenic APP/PS1 mouse models predominantly generate the more aggregation-prone Aβ42 species, alongside Aβ40. In APP/PS1 models, mutant presenilin-1 shifts γ-secretase activity toward increased Aβ42 production, resulting in a markedly elevated Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio and earlier plaque formation compared with single APP models.
In addition to canonical Aβ species, pyroglutamate-modified Aβ (AβpE3–42), a highly pathogenic and aggregation-prone form detected in human Alzheimer’s disease, has also been identified in APPxPS1 models. The presence of these clinically relevant Aβ species enhances the translational value of these models for evaluating amyloid-lowering and plaque-modifying therapies.
InnoSer’s expert scientific team has performed multiple validation studies, quantifying the levels of amyloid beta species including both soluble and insoluble forms.
Can cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) be studied in transgenic APPxPS1 mouse models?
Yes, cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) has been described in multiple APPxPS1 mouse models, including in the ARTE10 line (Willuweit et al. 2009) as well as InnoSer’s APPxPS1 line.
CAA is a common and clinically relevant cerebrovascular pathology characterized by the accumulation of Aβ peptides within the walls of cerebral blood vessels. CAA is present in a substantial proportion of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients and is increasingly recognized as a key contributor to vascular dysfunction, impaired cerebral blood flow, blood–brain barrier disruption, and intracerebral haemorrhage.
In recent years, interest in CAA has grown markedly as clinical trial outcomes have highlighted vascular amyloid as a potential driver of treatment-related adverse events, including amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA).
Consequently, CAA has emerged as an important target for mechanistic studies and for the preclinical evaluation of anti-amyloid therapies, particularly immunotherapies and approaches aimed at improving vascular amyloid clearance.
Do APP/PS1 mouse models show amyloid beta induced Tau pathology?
While APPxPS1 mice develop robust amyloid pathology and dystrophic neurites containing hyperphosphorylated murine tau, they do not recapitulate full neurofibrillary tangle pathology.
This absence of overt tangle pathology is consistent with other APP/PS1 transgenic mouse models. Amyloid-only models robustly reproduce cerebral beta amyloidosis but do not recapitulate the full spectrum of Alzheimer’s disease encompassing tau pathology. To model both amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in vivo, the incorporation of mutant human tau is required.
Therefore, for therapies targeting combined amyloid-and-tau disease modification, we recommend the APP[V717I]xTau[P301S] mouse model, which recapitulates both extracellular amyloid plaques and progressive tau pathology, providing a more complete Alzheimer’s disease phenotype.
Learn more about InnoSer’s combined amyloid and tau mouse model here.
InnoSer’s Available Alzheimer’s Disease Model Types

Amyloid (APP/ AB) Transgenic Mouse Models
InnoSer offers preclinical research services with several different transgenic amyloid models, which recapitulate the plaque pathology of AD.

Transgenic Tau Mouse Models
InnoSer offers unique research services with several different transgenic tau models, which recapitulate the Tau neurofibrillary tangle pathology of AD.

Tau Seeding & Spreading Mouse Models
InnoSer uses an AD brain extract injection model, providing unique preclinical services with a translational model of Tau pathology seeding and spreading.

In Vitro Neurology Assays
Screen your lead candidate compounds using InnoSer’s in vitro neurology assays to progress to preclinical in vivo studies with confidence
InnoSer’s Available Alzheimer’s Disease Mouse Models

Transgenic PS19 Mouse Model
Leverage one of the most widely used mouse models in preclinical research to evaluate the efficacy of your compound targeting tau pathology
![APP[V717I] mouse model](https://www.innoserlaboratories.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/APPV717I-mouse-model.png)
APP[V717I] mouse model

Tau[P301S] Mouse Model
Leverage InnoSer’s proprietary Tau[P301S] mouse model with reproducible and aggressive Tau pathology for fast, decision-driven preclinical efficacy studies
![APP[V717I] x PS1[A246E] mouse model](https://www.innoserlaboratories.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/APPV717I-x-PS1A246E-mouse-model.png)
APP[V717I] x PS1[A246E] mouse model
Test the efficacy of therapies targeting amyloid-beta accumulation, neuroinflammation, and cognitive impairment in an early-onset amyloidosis transgenic APPxPS1 Alzheimer’s disease model
![Tau[P301L] Mouse Model](https://www.innoserlaboratories.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/TauP301L-Mouse-Model.png)
Tau[P301L] Mouse Model
Leverage InnoSer’s Tau[P301L] mouse model with progressive, well-characterized Tau pathology for mechanism-driven preclinical efficacy studies

Transgenic APP x PS1 ARTE10 mouse model
Advance your amyloid-lowering therapeutic program by leveraging the widespread amyloid-beta pathology of the ARTE10 mouse model for robust preclinical efficacy studies
![APP[V717I] x Tau[P301S] mouse model, european neurology CRO specialists](https://www.innoserlaboratories.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/APPV717I-x-TauP301S-mouse-model.png)
APP[V717I] x Tau[P301S] mouse model
Evaluate multi-target therapeutics in InnoSer’s combined APPxTau disease model
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AAALAC Accreditation
InnoSer has earned the AAALAC accreditation, demonstrating our commitment to responsible animal care and use. AAALAC International is a nonprofit organization that promotes the humane treatment of animals in science through voluntary accreditation and assessment programs. InnoSer’s facilities in the Netherlands and Belgium have been AAALAC-accredited since 2016 and 2020, respectively. Read more about the AAALAC accreditation programme here.
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The 3Rs impact everything from policy and regulatory change to the development and uptake of new technologies and approaches. This is why InnoSer has ongoing commitment and monitoring of these processes. The steps we practice maximize our ability to replace, reduce and refine animal involvement and facilitate our commitment to these principles when it comes to research and drug development.
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![Translational Neuroscience: Comprehensive longitudinal profiling of the Tau[P301S] female vs male mice](https://www.innoserlaboratories.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Female-TauP301S-mice-show-early-spontaneous-hyperactivity-in-automated-home-cages-PhenoTyperTM-229375_1080x323.png)

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