The major objectives of the Animal and Exposure Core-4 of the UAB Research Center of Excellence in Arsenicals are to support all scientific Projects and Drug Discovery and Development Core-3, as the success of the studies proposed within this Center application depend on the availability of sufficient animals in a timely manner, as well as the timely coordination with MRIGlobal for animal exposure to arsenicals. MRIGlobal has more than 60 years of corporate experience in management and operations of chemical agent facilities and associated projects. We bring to CACT-funded programs, proficiencies in small and large animal chemical agent models, test and evaluation, safe handling of chemical warfare agent (CWA) compounds, compounds with extreme toxicity, toxic industrial chemicals (TIC), and emerging chemical threats. Core-4 will generate a colony of animals of the desired size by assessing the requirement of each Project in the beginning of each year. Animals will be transported to MRIGlobal on a predefined time schedule. Once the animals have been exposed to arsenicals and their initial gross data pertaining to skin damage recorded, the animals will be euthanized by the staff at MRIGlobal and the harvested tissues and body fluids will be transported back to UAB. In addition, MRIGlobal will synthesize and store the arsenicals used for these animal studies for which they have facilities which approved by appropriate agencies. Core-4 will establish a biorepository on the UAB campus in which to store the returned tissue and body fluid samples as well as other samples generated directly by the Projects. Samples will be barcoded and banked in our laboratory. In addition, Core-4 will conduct the in vivo screening of agents that are synthesized by Drug Discovery and Development Core-3 and found to be highly effective in attenuating molecular targets in vitro. Accordingly, three specific aims of this core include: 1: To breed and ship animals for arsenicals exposure at MRIGlobal under approved animal protocols of UAB and MRIGlobal; 2: Coordinate with MRIGlobal for animal exposure to arsenicals, initial gross skin data collection, and return shipment to UAB of samples or healed animals for proper banking and distribution or further toxicity assessment, respectively; and 3: To perform in vivo screening of novel agents developed in Drug Discovery and Development Core-3.
