Maintenance of an SPF Macaque Breeding Colony for AIDS Research

项目总结/摘要 NIH奖U42 OD 010568资助杜兰国家灵长类动物研究的建立和维护 中心（TNPRC）的特定病原体（SPF）的恒河猴繁殖群体，以支持艾滋病研究。 TNPRC艾滋病研究项目是该中心最大的项目，目前占所有研究项目的61 基金和67%的动物分配到研究在TNPRC每年的基础上。SPF育种 殖民地还向TNPRC以外的附属调查人员提供恒河猴，用于艾滋病研究。的 TNPRC SPF计划支持与NIH的HIV/AIDS研究保持一致的各种AIDS研究 优先事项包括疫苗开发、暴露前预防、杀微生物剂、艾滋病/结核病合并感染， 传播机理及治疗研究。全国对SPF猕猴的高需求需要 继续提供和加强这一资源。 作为持续改进计划的一部分，TNPRC不断评估和改进室内 非人灵长类动物（NHP）笼设备，以促进社会住房，扩大提供方法， 食物相关和无生命的富集，提高动物护理人员的安全性和人体工程学，最大限度地提高感染率 控制，并增加灵活性，在住房配置，以适应各种研究要求。 工程师团队与TNPRC动物护理人员，行为管理人员， 兽医创造设计，以满足该计划的专门需求，并改善动物的福祉。的 这些牢笼制度最具影响力的属性是最大限度地利用社会住房。几个正在进行 和拟议的艾滋病研究要求NHP接受长期抗逆转录病毒治疗（ART）。积极 正在实施强化训练，以优化ART的管理，同时最大限度地减少痛苦， 改善动物福利。这里提出的笼舍系统将改善物理环境，解决 我们的积极强化培训计划的需求，并促进一致性和最大限度地减少变化， 护理NHP，从而提高科学的严谨性和可重复性。 如果该提案获得资金，它们将用于购买一种创新的笼子系统， 通过连接垂直和水平空间，扩大社会住房机会， 恒河猴的正强化训练，并改善工作人员的人体工程学和安全性， 在NIH U42 OD 010568支持的TNPRC AIDS SPF繁殖群中的动物。请求在 原始范围的父母奖，以维持现有的SPF殖民地，并分发可用的动物， NIH资助的艾滋病毒/艾滋病研究社区和本项目没有重叠和家长补助金。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT NIH award U42OD010568 funds the establishment and maintenance of a Tulane National Primate Research Center (TNPRC) specific pathogen free (SPF) breeding colony of rhesus macaques to support AIDS research. The TNPRC AIDS research program is the largest at the Center, currently accounting for 61% of all research grant funding and 67% of animals assigned to research at the TNPRC on an annual basis. The SPF breeding colony also provides rhesus macaques to affiliate investigators outside of the TNPRC for AIDS research. The TNPRC SPF program supports a variety of AIDS studies which are aligned with NIH’s HIV/AIDS research priorities including vaccine development, pre-exposure prophylaxis, microbicides, AIDS/TB coinfection, transmission pathogenesis, and cure research. The high national demand for SPF macaques requires the continued availability and enhancement of this resource. As part of its program for continuous improvement, the TNPRC continuously assesses and refines indoor nonhuman primate (NHP) caging equipment to facilitate social housing, expand methods for the provision of food-related and inanimate enrichment, improve safety and ergonomics for animal care staff, maximize infection control, and increase flexibility in housing configurations to accommodate a variety of research requirements. Teams of engineers have collaborated with the TNPRC animal care staff, behavioral management staff, and veterinarians to create designs to meet the specialized needs of the program and improve animal wellbeing. The most impactful attribute of these caging systems involves maximizing the use of social housing. Several ongoing and proposed AIDS studies require that NHP receive long term antiretroviral therapy (ART). Positive reinforcement training is being implemented to optimize the administration of ART while minimizing distress and improving animal welfare. The caging system proposed here will enhance the physical environment, address the needs of our positive reinforcement training program, and promote consistency and minimize variability in the care of NHP thereby improving scientific rigor and reproducibility. If funds are awarded for this proposal, they will be used to purchase an innovative caging system that enhances the environment by joining vertical as well as horizontal spaces, expands social housing opportunities, facilitates positive reinforcement training of rhesus macaques, and improves ergonomics and safety for staff caring for animals in the TNPRC AIDS SPF breeding colony supported by NIH U42OD010568. The request is within the original scope of the parent award to maintain the existing SPF colony and distribute available animals to the NIH-funded HIV/AIDS research community and there is no overlap with this project and the parent grant.