Mouse Models of Frontotemporal Dementia

The pace of discovery in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) has accelerated dramatically with the discovery of new genetic causes and pathological substrates of the disease. MAPT/tau, GRN/progranulin, and C9ORF72 have emerged as common FTD genes, and TARDBP/TDP-43, VCP, FUS, and CHMP2B have been identified as less common genetic causes. TDP-43 and FUS have joined tau as common neuropathological substrates of the disease. Mouse models provide an important tool for understanding the role of these molecules in FTD pathogenesis. Here, we review recent progress with mouse models based on tau, TDP-43, progranulin, VCP, and CHMP2B. We also consider future prospects for FTD models, including developing new models to address unanswered questions. There are also opportunities for capitalizing on conservation of the salience network, which is selectively vulnerable in FTD, and the availability of FTD-related behavioral paradigms to analyze mouse models of the disease. ANN NEUROL 2012;72:837-849