Vervet Research Colony as a Biomedical Resource

恒河猴的严重短缺已经迫切需要开发替代的非人灵长类动物 生物医学研究的模型。非洲长尾猴/非洲绿色猴（Chlorocebus aethiops）是一个理想的候选者 来填补这个职位长尾猴是旧大陆的猴子，在行为、生理和 解剖学来自加勒比海的长尾猴很容易获得，而且比恒河猴便宜， 不携带猴疱疹病毒（B病毒），与恒河猴或其他亚洲动物相比， 猕猴的替代品。UCLA Vervet研究殖民地（VRC）是一个成熟的中心，支持当地 在长尾猴神经生物学，行为和遗传学方面的研究已有29年，使其处于独特的地位， 作为国家黑长尾猴资源中心的基础。广泛的遗传和行为 在VRC收集的关于长尾小蠹的数据库使其成为合作研究的特别宝贵的资源， 许多生物医学领域，包括肥胖、糖尿病、衰老、精神和行为障碍， 和对心血管疾病的脆弱性。来自NCRR P40赠款的支持将使VRC能够a）增加 通过繁殖美国集落出生的、无特定病原体的非人灵长类动物，为生物医学研究提供非人灵长类动物 (SPF)为NIH资助的研究者提供已知年龄和病史的黑尾长尾雉; B）为黑尾长尾雉提供特定的 特征和条件（例如，老年、冲动、肥胖、糖尿病）; c）保持 纯种的，基因型的黑尾鼠群体，用作研究遗传贡献的国家资源， d）提供关于临床护理和管理长尾小蠊的培训和信息， 该物种在其他中心的使用，以及e）支持继续使用vervet模型进行遗传， 生物行为学和神经生物学研究，以及肥胖症研究的新vervet模型的开发， 糖尿病和代谢综合征。为实现这些目标，组织了两个核心。动物 资源核心将管理动物护理和育种计划，维护殖民地记录系统， 传播关于长尾猴的饲养和临床特征的信息， 利用长尾猴进行生物医学研究。动物资源核心的研究部分将侧重于 提高婴儿的生存能力。遗传学和生物行为核心将为地方和国家提供访问权限 研究人员使用多代VRC谱系和广泛的遗传和生物行为数据库， 个体动物的可用信息，并将为外部研究者提供统计遗传学支持 利用这些资源来寻找影响生物医学特征的基因。遗传学的研究部分和 生物行为核心将有助于发展的vervet作为一个模型，肥胖，糖尿病和代谢 综合征这些努力将产生关键信息，并提供接触动物和研究的机会。 机会，将扩大使用的长尾作为替代非人灵长类动物模型的研究， 人类疾病和失调。

The critical shortage of rhesus monkeys has created an urgent need to develop alternative nonhuman primate models for biomedical research. The vervet / African green monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops) is an ideal candidate to fill this position. Vervets are Old World monkeys that resemble the rhesus in behavior, physiology and anatomy. Caribbean-derived vervets are readily available and are less expensive than rhesus, and because they do not carry Herpesvirus simiae (B virus), they present fewer health and safety risks than rhesus or other Asian macaque alternatives. The UCLA Vervet Research Colony (VRC) is an established center that has supported local research in vervet monkey neurobiology, behavior and genetics for 29 years, making it uniquely positioned to serve as the basis for a national resource center for vervet monkeys. The extensive genetic and behavioral database collected on vervets at the VRC make this a particularly valuable resource for collaborative research in a number of areas of biomedical interest, including obesity, diabetes, aging, psychiatric and behavioral disorders, and vulnerability for cardiovascular disease. Support from an NCRR P40 grant will enable the VRC to a) increase the supply of nonhuman primates for biomedical research by breeding US colony-born, specific pathogen free (SPF) vervets of known age and medical history for NIH-funded investigators; b) provide vervets with specific characteristics and conditions (e.g., aged, impulsive, obese, diabetic) to outside investigators; c) maintain a pedigreed, genotyped colony of vervets for use as a national resource for research on genetic contributions to faiomedicaltraits; d) provide training and information on the clinical care and management of vervets to enhance the use of this species in other centers, and e) support the continued use of vervet models for genetic, biobehavioral and neurobiological research, and the development of new vervet models for research in obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Two cores have been organized to accomplish these aims. The Animal Resources Core will manage the animal care and breedingprogram, maintain the colony record system, disseminate information on husbandry and clinicalcharacteristics of vervet monkeys, and train veterinarians in the use of vervets for biomedical research. The research component of the Animal Resources Core will focus on increasing infant viability. The Genetics and BiobehavioralCore will provide access for local and national investigators to use the multigenerational VRC pedigree and extensive database of genetic and biobehavioral information available on individual animals, and will provide statistical genetics support for outside investigators to use this resource to find genes that influence biomedical traits. The research component of the Genetics and Biobehavioral Core will contribute to the development of the vervet as a model for obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. These efforts will generate critical information and provide access to animals and research opportunities that will expand the use of the vervet as an alternative nonhuman primate model for the study of human diseases and disorders.