In Vivo Neuronal Transport Impairment Reflects the Level of Abnormal Tau in a Mouse Model of Tauopathy : A Track-Tracing Memri Study

Anne Bertrand^1,2, Umer Khan², Dung Minh Hoang², Dmitry Novikov², Pavan Krishnamurthy³, Hameetha Banu Rajamohamed Sait³, Benjamin Winthrop Little², Einar M. Sigurdsson³, Youssef Zaim Wadghiri²

Our aim was to study in vivo the neuronal transport in a mouse model of tauopathy, using manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI). We show that 1) JNPL3[P301L] mice display a progressive impairment of neuronal transport with aging; 2) the degree of neuronal transport impairment is correlated with the level of tauopathy in neurons. Thus, MEMRI provides a useful biomarker that can be used during the pre-clinical evaluation of new drugs against Alzheimers disease.