The biomedical and behavioral research community has long recognized the importance of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) as an animal model. In 1986 the National Institutes of Health created the Chimpanzee Breeding and Research Program (CBRP) to insure that a chimpanzee population in the United States was available for use in human health research. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has been active in this endeavor since its conception. Chimpanzees continue to be essential models in the development of vaccines for hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, hepatitis A virus, respiratory syncytial virus, and human immunodeficiency virus and play a critical role in the evaluation of the pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, safety, and efficacy of novel drug compounds, proteins and monoclonal antibodies.
Specific aims of the application include the following: 1) To maintain CBRP chimpanzees in a setting which promotes species appropriate social interactions and, to establish and implement guidelines for managing access to research chimpanzees based on age and health status. 2) To conduct a longitudinal resource relevant research focused on: 1) characterization of naturally occurring disease processes and 2) determination of the relationship between specific behavioral phenotypes and levels of central monoamine metabolites and neuropeptides. 3)To collaborate and share data freely with the chimpanzee database grantees, investigators whose efforts would be supported by access to UL Lafayette's information and the ChiMP Coordinator, and to work with the ChiMP Advisory Panel in developing long term plans for research use, demographics, genetics, and long-term care. 4)To support national and international efforts to share biomedical research resources consistent with the National Institutes of Health's policy on Sharing of Model Organisms for Biomedical Research, and to enhance the development of and access to chimpanzee animal models critical to understanding human health need consistent with NCRR's 2004-2008 Strategic Plan.
(provided by applicant): The CBRP resource is critical to meeting global human health care challenges. Accessing a chimpanzee model is essential in selective cases for reducing risk to human research subjects. The chimpanzee is the only model available to meet the needs of advancing a vaccine for hepatitis C and for the development of future monoclonal antibodies therapies.
| Cloutier, Christina T; Coxworth, James E; Hawkes, Kristen (2015) Age-related decline in ovarian follicle stocks differ between chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and humans. Age (Dordr) 37:9746 |
| Fuller, Michael J; Callendret, Benoit; Zhu, Baogong et al. (2013) Immunotherapy of chronic hepatitis C virus infection with antibodies against programmed cell death-1 (PD-1). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 110:15001-6 |
