Basic biomedical research is supported by the NIA through several programs that require animal models of the aging process. These programs include immunology, endocrinology, pharmacology, neurobiology, muscle physiology, behavior, genetics, and nutrition. Aged non-human primates (NHP) are an important model for determining how research findings from experiments in lower organisms translate to human biology and aging. From genetic, physiological and behavioral perspectives, NHP are our closest relatives in the animal world, making them a valuable tool in biomedical research. There are many drawbacks to using NHP in research. The availability of NHP is limited and NHP are expensive to obtain and to house. And there is strong public sentiment to reduce the number of NHP used in biomedical research. The Non-human Primate Tissue Bank allows investigators to make use of NHP biospecimens at relatively little cost, and provides a mechanism for multiple investigators to share tissue from a single animal, allowing more studies to be carried out with existing resources.
