YEMASSEE, S.C., Oct. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Alpha Genesis has
announced that it now provides purpose-bred Indonesian-origin
cynomolgus macaques for use in vaccine development and other
select study applications. The primate science corporation serves
medical research organizations throughout the world, including
several European and Asian drug-development companies. The Alpha
Genesis Indonesian primate colony is maintained at the Alpha
Genesis Primate Research Center in South
Carolina, which has undergone significant expansion
over the past 18 months, with more than $2 million in investment funding allocated to
infrastructure and staff development programs.
Macaque monkeys are the cornerstone of medical research and
are used throughout the world to model an array of human health
issues which include Alzheimer's disease, avian flu, HIV infection,
stem cell growth, and Zika virus infection. Research
conducted at the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center and the
US network of national primate research centers has shown that
geographically diverse populations of cynomolgus monkeys
exhibit genetic variation that is unique among primates,
and which provides scientists with a powerful new research
tool for assessing the efficacy of medical treatments prior to
their use in human trials.
Cynomolgus monkeys originate from several distinct world
regions, including Indonesia,
Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Mauritius. China has no native cynomolgus populations but
has imported thousands of these animals from their native areas for
breeding and export to researchers worldwide. Studies examining the
influence of regional genetics on spontaneous pathology and
response to xenobiotics suggest that genotypical
differences between cynomolgus populations can vary as high as
those which occur between Indian and Chinese rhesus macaques,
and that because of specific gene sequences associated with
protection and susceptibility to infection, purpose-bred
Indonesian-origin cynomolgus may be advantageous over
mixed-origin Chinese cynomolgus monkeys for certain types
of biomedical applications, including HIV and flu vaccine
development.
The most common primate vaccine models have been developed using
Indian-origin, Old World rhesus monkeys. "Most of the studies
pertaining to HIV vaccine development, for example, have been
conducted with rhesus monkeys whose ancestors originated from the
Indian subcontinent. However, there are some complex aspects of HIV
and other disease processes you cannot investigate using
Indian-origin rhesus due to their limited availability to the
research community. The purpose-bred Indonesian-origin cynomolgus
macaque is a strong candidate to help alleviate the existing
shortage in suitable primate research models, broaden prospects for
advanced scientific progress, and increase the effectiveness of
medical research utilizing nonhuman primates," according to
Greg Westergaard, PhD, a leading
authority on primate research models.
About Alpha Genesis
Alpha Genesis is a leading life sciences company that
provides primates and primate research services worldwide. With a
mission to improve health and improve lives, Alpha Genesis delivers
world-class solutions to the primate research community. To learn
more about Alpha Genesis,
visit www.alphagenesisinc.com and to learn more about the
AGI Primate Research Center,
visit www.primateresearch.com.
Media Contact: info@alphagenesisinc.com
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SOURCE Alpha Genesis