Nine Science Advocacy Groups Release White Paper on the Critical Role of Nonhuman Primates (NHPs) in Scientific and Medical ResearchThe paper highlights the essential role NHPs play in finding treatments for serious and life-altering conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, Zika virus, HIV/AIDS and Parkinson’s disease WASHINGTON — The Foundation for Biomedical Research (FBR) announced today the release of the white paper, The Critical
Monkeys and humans are similarly affected by deadly heart disease A collaboration between a team of pathologists from the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC) and a cardiologist from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine has resulted in the identification of an HCM (Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy) disease model naturally occurring in genetically related rhesus macaques in the CNPRC colony. This finding is considered to be crucial for research into early diagnosis and potential treatments for HCM in both monkeys and humans.
Developing a strategy to prevent and treat Zika virus Research is beginning next week at the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC) at UC Davis to understand Zika virus. Leading the efforts are Drs. Koen Van Rompay, Eliza Bliss-Moreau, Paul Luciw and John H. Morrison at the CNPRC, and Dr. Lark Coffey, UC Davis. The rapid spread of the virus and potential connection to an otherwise rare birth defect have drawn plenty of attention from the public and from government officials.
Can loneliness make you sick? Loneliness is more than just a socio-emotional condition; it can be a significant cause of poor health, and is of special concern in the elderly. Also known as perceived social isolation, loneliness reflects a discrepancy between desired and actual social relationships, and has been known to be a major risk factor for chronic illness and mortality in humans for more than a quarter century.
Prozac (fluoxetine), a commonly prescribed drug for anxiety and depression, is used during pregnancy by some women. But several studies are showing that prenatal exposure to the drug may increase the risk of having a child with autism.
Prozac, Zoloft (sertraline) and Paxil (paroxetine) are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) – a class of antidepressants. SSRIs can cross the placenta, and it’s possible that exposure to the drugs affects fetal brain development, the researchers say.
A new understanding of how some infants may resist HIV disease
When a person is infected with a virus their immune system is normally activated to respond to and control the infection. However, when a person is persistently infected with HIV, the chronic activation and overstimulation of the immune system is associated with disease progression. HIV is unique in that it directly attacks the cells of the immune system, breaking down the body’s defenses. Once the adaptive immune system is alerted to an HIV infection, it responds by producing HIV-specific CD4+ T cells.
Gene therapy treatment developed at the CNPRC shows benefits to brain cells for Alzheimer’s patients
Reporting on the first-of-its-kind human clinical trials designed to test the potential benefits of nerve growth factor gene therapy for Alzheimer’s patients, Mark Tuszynski, MD, PhD, CNPRC affiliate scientist, has found that an experimental gene therapy he developed at the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC) at UC Davis reduces the rate at which nerve cells in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients degenerate and die (Tuszynski, M. H., et al. (2015).
