The Preclinical Animal Network (PCAN): Integrative high-throughput phenotyping of standardized mouse models for Prader-Willi syndrome
The Preclinical Animal Network (PCAN) is a collaborative resource established to advance translational research and therapeutic development for Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by loss of paternally expressed genes on chromosome 15q11-q13. PCAN integrates standardized, high-throughput phenotyping of approximately 1,000 mice across six engineered lines carrying paternal deletions of Ndn, Magel2, Snord116, Ipw, and multigenic loci. Using validated experimental pipelines spanning metabolic, behavioral, and developmental domains, we captured comprehensive phenotypic profiles by applying a statistical variance-decomposition framework to partition genetic and environmental contributions. This analysis provides robust genotype-phenotype maps, revealing shared and model-specific phenotypic effects while accounting for key confounding factors. The PCAN resource provides a framework for evaluating PWS-relevant phenotypes and benchmarking therapeutic strategies. By providing open access to its mouse models, datasets and analytical resources, PCAN enables the research community to apply standardized, reproducible workflows and accelerate the development of targeted, mechanism-based treatments.