PRIMATE SCIENCE RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
Sept. 23, 1999
"Southwest Foundation houses newest NIH primate center"

This summer, a new center joined the original group of seven primate
research facilities supported by the National Institutes of
Health--National Center for Research Resources. This center, though, is no
rookie to research.

While the seven NIH-NCRR Regional Primate Research Centers were established
in the early 1960s, the Southwest Regional Primate Research Center (SRPRC)
is actually part of a larger facility that's been around since the last
World War.

The Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, through the SRPRC, joins
forces with the other regional centers in  fighting today's war on
infectious diseases, birth defects, diseases associated with aging and
other biological pitfalls to society. Directed by John L. VandeBerg, Ph.D.,
the SRPRC became the eighth Regional Primate Research Center June 1, 1999.

A Wisconsin native, Dr. VandeBerg received his B.S. from the University of
Wisconsin-Madison and conducted his postdoctoral training there in the
1970s. He was an assistant scientist in the Laboratory of Genetics and at
the Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center from 1979-80.

Since its founding in 1941, the San Antonio-based Southwest Foundation has
become one of the largest and most internationally renowned of the
independent, nonprofit biomedical research institutions in the United
States. AAALAC-accredited since 1973, the facility houses the world's
largest baboon breeding colony, at 3,400 animals. Chimpanzees, rhesus
monkeys, and nonsimian species double that number to total about 6,800
animals on 397 acres.

The Foundation has a long history of breakthroughs in primate research,
including the development of the high frequency ventilator, lung
surfactant, and the Hepatitis B vaccine. Recent progress has included the
development a candidate Hepatitis C vaccine, as well as two HIV vaccines
now in clinical trials involving thousands of humans.

Examples of further progress include the following:

--Researchers are making inroads in fighting common, chronic diseases like
atherosclerosis, thrombosis, osteoporosis and obesity.
--A monkey model being developed for research on hepatitis B will likely
reduce the need for chimpanzees in such research.
--Ongoing work is expected to further reduce the extent of lung and heart
damage in premature babies.
--A rhesus monkey model for familial hypercholesterolemiais is being used
to develop gene therapy techniques to prevent early death from this disease.
--A baboon infant model that developed clinical signs of infection by
respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is being used to develop vaccines against
this sometimes deadly disease.

The SRPRC is expected to bring to the national primate centers program its
strengths in all of the above as well as numerous other research areas. The
center aims to assist other primate centers with its strong program in the
genetic management of captive nonhuman primates. The centers share a common
goal in ensuring their animals' long-term genetic well-being and in
optimizing their use in research.

The center will also provide new opportunities for scientists in the
southwestern United States to work on a variety of biomedical research
topics at locations close to their home institutions.

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Reference:

Dahl, C. 1999. Briefing Notes: The Use of Nonhuman Primates in Biomedical
Research. Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, San Antonio, TX.

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Primate-Science Research Highlights appears every other week and focuses
broadly on research involving non-human primates. Coverage includes
biomedicine, behavior, conservation and veterinary science. Please
submit highlights for this column to Larry Jacobsen, Primate-Science Research
Highlights editor, at jacobsen@primate.wisc.edu. A 300-word limit and
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supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health,
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