The objective of the nonhuman primate core (Core H), located at the Tulane National Primate Research Center (TNPRC), is to provide leadership, collaborative expertise, and highly integrated clinical management and laboratory support to CFAR investigators for research utilizing nonhuman primate models of AIDS. The Core will enhance and facilitate the ability of CFAR investigators to perform studies in nonhuman primates and promote scientific collaborations between the TNPRC and CFAR colleagues in Philadelphia by providing services and expertise to CFAR investigators, andlhrough a Nonhuman Primate""""""""Pilot Grant program (separate from but complementary to the pilot grant program of the CFAR Developmental Core). The core consists of clinical and laboratory components. The clinical component will acquire, house and care for the nonhuman primates, and assist investigators with experimental design. The core will also be responsible for the daily clinical care of animals and animal procedures such as immunization, blood draws, fluid collection, bronchoalveolar lavage, biopsies, etc. The laboratory component of the core will perform routine hematology, clinical chemistry, ova and parasite examination of feces, microbiology, and pathologic examination of all necropsies and biopsies in support of the animal studies. The core will also provide flow cytometry and immunology services, SIV and SHIV viral stocks and isolation, and specialized pathology services including in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy and image analysis. The core also includes animals and animal support for developmental pilot studies. From our experience over the last five years, we expect that the combination of nonhuman primate resources and specialized research expertise with nonhuman primate models of AIDS will enhance the research mission of the Penn CFAR and result in new and stronger collaborations as well as attracting new investigators to use nonhuman primate models of AIDS. In addition to its service related mission and the developmental pilot grant program, the Core stimulates translation of bench-based findings into animal experimentation, a key step prior to studies in humans, by participation via videoconference in CFAR seminars, joint symposia, and extensive interactions that serve to advise CFAR investigators on how in vitro studies can be extended into this critical in vivo model.
This core provides leadership, expertise, and ready access to nonhuman primate models of AIDS in order to foster studies by CFAR investigators using this important in vivo model that address key questions related to understanding the pathogenesis of AIDS as well as development of vaccines and therapeutics.
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