title: The translational value of non-human primates in preclinical research on infection and immunopathology.
abstract: The immune system plays a central role in the defense against environmental threats - such as infection with viruses, parasites or bacteria - but can also be a cause of disease, such as in the case of allergic or autoimmune disorders. In the past decades the impressive development of biotechnology has provided scientists with biological tools for the development of highly selective treatments for the different types of disorders. However, despite some clear successes the translation of scientific discoveries into effective treatments has remained challenging. The often-disappointing predictive validity of the preclinical animal models that are used in the selection of the most promising vaccine or drug candidates is the Achilles heel in the therapy development process. This publication summarizes the relevance and usage of non-human primates as pre-clinical model in infectious and autoimmune diseases, in particular for biologicals, which due to their high species-specificity are inactive in lower species.
authors: Department Immunobiology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, The Netherlands; University of Groningen, University Medical Center, Department Neuroscience, Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: hart@bprc.nl.
authors: Bert A
authors: BA
authors: 't Hart
authors: Department Virology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, The Netherlands. Electronic address: bogers@bprc.nl.
authors: Willy M
authors: WM
authors: Bogers
authors: Department Immunobiology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, The Netherlands. Electronic address: haanstra@bprc.nl.
authors: Krista G
authors: KG
authors: Haanstra
authors: Department Parasitology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, The Netherlands. Electronic address: verreck@bprc.nl.
authors: Frank A
authors: FA
authors: Verreck
authors: Department Parasitology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, The Netherlands. Electronic address: kocken@bprc.nl.
authors: Clemens H
authors: CH
authors: Kocken
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D011323:Primates; D013045:Species Specificity; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Animal model; Autoimmunity; Bacterial infection; Parasitic infection; Transplantation; Viral infection