EXPANDING VIROLOGY IN THE NON-HUMAN PRIMATE

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Non-human primates are close relatives to humans and because of this represent a valuable resource for biomedical research. Of all the non-human primates the chimpanzee is the closest relative of humans, but the usage of this highly endangered species for experimental research raises ethical constraints. Alternatively, Old World macaques, such as rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) (RM), represent suitable animal models as RM share close genetic, physiological and immunological similarities with humans. The utility of RM is well documented for studying aspects of human reproductive biology and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) pathogenesis, but is less developed for other disease manifestations that affect human health, such as other viral and genetic-based disease conditions. The long-term goals of this developmental proposal are to further develop the RM model for elucidation of viral disease states and the evaluation of viral-based therapies for application to human health.