 Administrative
Core
Trans-Center Cores
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Nonhuman Primate Aerobiology Core Host Institution (RCE): Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM (Western RCE) Director: Roger Van Andel, D.V.M., Ph.D. Associate Directors: Description: The development of a biodefense program that can address the challenges of developing therapeutics against infections that have a low incidence worldwide but could have significant consequence requires the development of new approaches to product development. In the past, for infectious agents with high incidence such as influenza, we could perform efficacy studies in rodent and nonhuman primate models with the understanding that final efficacy studies could be tested using selected human populations and epidemiologic analysis. We do not have this option for the biothreats however, and we will have to rely heavily on standardized, well-defined models of biothreats in multiple species. Species that will be utilized more than ever are the nonhuman primates because of their similarities to humans for infections with biothreat agents. Further, since most biothreats are respiratory in nature, the importance of this challenge is enhanced due to the fact that models using aerosol techniques are among the most difficult to standardize. Few if any entities outside of federal laboratories have developed aerosol capacity for biothreats in nonhuman primates. Moreover, the labs that have some capability are very difficult to access for university-based researchers. This core uses the select agent microbiological experience that has been developed at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center for rodent models and merges it with the aerosol and primate experience at the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute for the purpose of providing to the RCE network access to aerosol nonhuman primate models and aerosol training. |
