MAPT and Alzheimer disease: Previous studies have shown that some aged degus develop AD-like cognitive impairments and neuropathological features including beta-amyloid plaques, hyperphosphorylated tau neurofibrillary tangles and brain neuroinflammation, in conjunction with AD/aged-associated comorbidities such as macular degeneration, atherosclerosis, and type-2-diabetes27–32.