Vervet Research Colony as a Biomedical Resource

 描述（由申请人提供）：这是一项竞争性更新，要求支持无病原体、血统和基因组特征的Vervet研究菌落（VRC）。在过去的五年中，VRC积极响应对VRC资源的需求增加，包括向国家研究界分发404只动物，仅去年就有100多只。由于在疫苗开发、心脏代谢紊乱和痴呆症研究中越来越多地使用长尾猴，以及由于国际运输猴子用于研究，包括来自加勒比的猴子，存在很大困难，预计未来的需求将很强劲。VRC中所有个体的基因组测序和由此产生的基因组资源现在为研究人员提供了将现代系统生物学应用于疾病病理生物学研究的机会，并为对公共卫生构成最大风险的慢性，退行性和感染性疾病开发新的疗法和干预措施。基因组资源的开发和谱系的更新继续涉及与加州大学洛杉矶分校的研究人员的密切合作，他们与维克森林的科学家合作了十多年。作为一个国家，多类别的研究资源，VRC提供了访问良好的特征猴子的研究现场或场外，包括调查集中在营养方面。VRC在下一个资助期的三个具体目标是：1）确保向国家生物医学界提供至少85个无病原体、具有基因组特征的长尾猴，并确保提供必要的数据和组织库，以促进对人类疾病和治疗方法的系统研究; 2）通过从受控的，在食用“西方”与通常的实验室食物饮食的同时进行反复评估，从而为了解慢性病风险提供相关的营养背景，并促进对动物整个生命周期的研究采取“组学”方法;以及3）继续提供兽医研究中心作为培训兽医和其他生物医学研究、畜牧业、临床护理和动物资源管理专业人员的平台。值得注意的是，通过定期收集和分析血液、肌肉、脂肪和CSF来丰富数据和组织库;其他收集，包括肝脏、骨骼和多模式成像（PET、MRI、CT、DXA、MEG），可应要求提供。为了鼓励最大限度地利用资源和相关的储存库，VRC调查人员参与了一项科学推广计划，其中包括年度国家研讨会，试点研究计划，网站和定期通讯。支持科学推广的资金完全由维克森林医学院提供。越南难民理事会还参与社区外联活动，主要侧重于4 - 12年级的学生及其教师。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This is a competing renewal requesting support for the pathogen free, pedigreed and genomically characterized Vervet Research Colony (VRC). For the past five years the VRC has responded vigorously to an increased demand for VRC resources, including the distribution of 404 animals to the national research community and more than 100 in just the prior year. Future demand is projected to be strong owing to increased use of vervets for vaccine development, cardiometabolic disorders, and dementia studies, and because of substantial difficulties surrounding the international transportation of monkeys for research, including those from the Caribbean. The genomic sequencing of all individuals in the VRC and the resulting genomic resources now provides investigators the opportunity to apply modern systems biology to the study of disease pathobiology and to the development of new therapies and interventions for the chronic, degenerative, and infectious disorders posing the greatest risks to public health. The development of the genomic resource and updating of the pedigree continues to involve a strong collaboration with investigators from UCLA, who have partnered with Wake Forest scientists for more than a decade. As a national, multicategorical research resource, the VRC provides access to well-characterized monkeys for research on- or off site, including investigations focused on the nutritional context. The three specific aims for the VRC for the next grant period are: 1) to ensure both a minimum of 85 pathogen-free, genomically characterized vervets to the national biomedical community and the accompanying data and tissue repositories required to facilitate the systematic study of human disease and therapies; 2) to enhance the VRC's translational value by developing data and tissue repositories from controlled, repeated assessments while consuming a `Western' vs. usual laboratory chow diet, thereby providing a relevant nutritional context for understanding chronic disease risk and facilitating `omic' approaches to the study of animals across the lifespan; and 3) to continue providing the VRC as a platform for training veterinarians and other professionals in biomedical research, husbandry, clinical care, and the management of animal resources. It is important to note that the data and tissue repositories are enriched by regular collection and assay of blood, muscle, fat, and CSF; other collections, including liver, bone, and multimodal imaging (PET, MRI, CT, DXA, MEG) are available on request. To encourage maximum use of the resource and associated repositories, the VRC investigators engage in a program of scientific outreach that includes an annual national symposium, a pilot study program, a website, and a regular newsletter. The funds supporting scientific outreach are provided entirely by the Wake Forest School of Medicine. The VRC also engages in community outreach, focused largely on students in grades 4 - 12 and their teachers.