Establishment of a SPF Rhesus Macaque Colony

摘要--总体 西南国家灵长类研究中心是七个国家灵长类研究中心之一 (NPRCs)由NIH支持。SNPRC拥有一个无特定病原体(SPF)的恒河猴群体 印度起源(IND RM)，由NIH SPF恒河猴育种计划(U42OD010442)支持。这个殖民地是 源自两个长期存在的SPF殖民地，美国空军(USAF)和新英格兰 灵长类动物研究中心。这个由大约800只动物组成的群体支持与艾滋病相关的研究 无论是在SNPRC还是通过向其他机构的艾滋病调查人员销售。在这两种情况下，这些动物 主要支持由美国国立卫生研究院资助的研究人员发起的艾滋病毒疫苗领域的项目级研究 开发、治疗研究、发病机制、治疗方法的开发，以及结核病等混合感染。在过去 两年来，这一资源在支持开发SARS-CoV-2的NHP模型方面也发挥了关键作用 用于新冠肺炎疫苗的后续测试，例如辉瑞B2疫苗，该疫苗已被 适用于全球数亿人，以及新冠肺炎的治疗方法，如 再生抗体鸡尾酒。SNPRC的资源由教职的内部科学家使用 主办机构德克萨斯生物学院的成员，以及支持外部科学家 在SNPRC进行现场灵长类研究，通过销售获得动物，或要求特定的样本。 目前，研究非人灵长类(NHP)的国家严重短缺，特别是SPF IND Rm。这严重影响了我们项目范围内(所有国家预委会)支持国家研究任务的能力 艾滋病毒/艾滋病以及非艾滋病/其他传染病、艾滋病合并感染、疟疾、结核病、 新冠肺炎等。新斯科舍受到的影响尤其大，因为其殖民地规模较小，最近招募了 拥有利用IND RM的大型项目的科学家。美国国立卫生研究院已经认识到扩大SPF恒河猴的必要性 并强烈建议增加Ind RM的繁育能力。SNPRC处于有利地位，可以 将其SPF Ind RM生产扩展为一个中心，该中心位于气候宜人的地方，主要是户外住宅 具有扩张能力的机构。德克萨斯生物能源公司最近筹集了资金，用于建设一个大型的新NHP设施 可以容纳额外的~800个NHP。德克萨斯州比默德/SNPRC也得到了NIH/ORIP的资助 通过C06将我们的产能在现有产能的基础上扩大40%。最后，通过支持， 我们的主办机构，德克萨斯生物学院，我们已经采购了大约150名传统创始人/育种者Ind RM来增加 我们繁育和繁衍着即将翻新/建造的建筑。因此，SNPRC Ind RM 未来十年，人口可能会增加到1600-2000人。而SNPRC群体中的一些新动物 在未来五年内将形成一个单独的P51殖民地，不会局限于艾滋病毒/艾滋病相关的研究， 预计U42殖民地的人数至少会增加20%-40%。此外，P51菌落的发育 将支持结核病、新冠肺炎等非身份证和非艾滋病身份证项目，支持发展新的 模特们。这将确保U42资源专门用于艾滋病毒研究。因此，虽然 SNPRC作为SPF IND RM的国家资源的能力在过去显著增加 在绩效期间，我们准备更高水平地服务于国内外科学家的需求 在未来。这一续签申请提出了继续成功的方法，这些方法允许 保持一个干净的、遗传多样性的SPF Ind RM菌落，但重点是增加 群体中的SPF动物。在其U42应用程序的持续支持下，SNPRC准备 大大有助于有效地减少全国SPF IND RM短缺。

Abstract - Overall The Southwest National Primate Research Center (SNPRC) is one of seven National Primate Research Centers (NPRCs) supported by the NIH. The SNPRC houses a Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) rhesus macaque colony of Indian origin (Ind RM), supported by the NIH SPF rhesus breeding program (U42OD010442). This colony is derived from the combination of two long-standing SPF colonies, the US Air Force (USAF) and the New England Primate Research Center (NEPRC). This colony of approximately 800 animals supports AIDS-related research both at SNPRC and through sales to AIDS investigators at other institutions. In both cases, these animals primarily support NIH-funded investigator initiated and program-level research in the areas of HIV vaccine development, cure research, pathogenesis, therapeutics development, and co-infections such as TB. In the past two years this resource has also been critical in supporting the development of NHP models of SARS-CoV-2 infection and for the subsequent testing of COVID-19 vaccines e.g., the Pfizer B2 vaccine which has been administered to hundreds of million individuals worldwide, and therapeutic approaches for COVID-19 such as the Regeneron antibody cocktail. The SNPRC resource is being used both by internal scientists who are faculty members of the host institution Texas Biomed, as well as in support of external scientists who either conduct primate research in situ at the SNPRC, acquire animals via sales, or request specific samples. There is currently a major national shortage of research nonhuman primates (NHPs), and particularly of SPF Ind RM. This has severely impacted our program-wide (all NPRCs) ability to support the national research mission of HIV/AIDS as well as in the area of non-AIDS/other infectious diseases, AIDS co-infections, malaria, TB, COVID-19, etc. The SNPRC is particularly affected due to its small colony size and recent recruitment of scientists with large programs that utilize Ind RM. The NIH has recognized this need for expansion of SPF rhesus production and strongly recommends increasing Ind RM breeding capacity. The SNPRC is well positioned to expand its SPF Ind RM production as a center located in a climate hospitable to largely outdoor housing at an institution with capacity for expansion. Texas Biomed has recently raised funds to build a large new NHP facility which could house an additional ~ 800 NHPs. Texas Biomed/SNPRC has also been funded by the NIH/ORIP via a C06 to expand our production capacity by 40% over our existing capacity. Finally, through the support of our host institution, Texas Biomed, we have procured ~ 150 conventional founder/breeder Ind RM to increase our breeding and populate the soon to be renovated/constructed buildings. As such the SNPRC Ind RM population can increase to 1600-2000 in the next decade. While some of the new animals in the SNPRC colony over the next five years will form a separate P51 colony which will not be restricted to HIV/AIDS related research, and at least a 20-40% increase in the U42 colony is expected. Additionally, the development of a P51 colony will support non-ID and non-HIV ID projects such as TB and COVID-19, and support the development of new models. This will ensure that the U42 resource is exclusively available for HIV studies. As such, while the ability of the SNPRC to serve as a national resource of SPF Ind RM has increased significantly in the past performance period, we are poised to serve the needs of both internal and external scientists to a greater level in the future. This renewal application proposes the continuation of successful approaches which have allowed the maintenance of a clean, genetically diverse, SPF Ind RM colony, but with focus on increasing the number of SPF animals in the colony. With the continued support of its U42 application, the SNPRC is poised to substantially contribute to a meaningful reduction in the national shortage of SPF Ind RM.