Search Results: "Infectious disease"

Animals in Research

A Geriatric Wing for Marmosets

Texas Biomed’s Southwest National Primate Research Center most recently invested $2.5 million to renovate a 12,000-square-foot building to be dedicated exclusively for marmoset housing and research. Marmosets require subtropical environments and have been studied extensively for infectious disease research. Because they have a relatively short life-span compared to other primates,…

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Featured Studies

Chimpanzees are first animal shown to develop telltale markers of Alzheimer’s disease

Article Written by: Sara Reardon Analysis of chimp brains reveals protein plaques and tangles that signal brain disease in humans, but whether the animals can develop dementia is unclear. [caption id="attachment_899" align="alignright" width="239"] Photo credit: Fiona Rogers/Minden Pictures/FLPA[/caption] Aged chimpanzees develop brain characteristics that are similar — but not identical…

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Species Entry

Hamster

Hamsters are important in many research areas, including cancer, reproduction, virology, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Hamsters and humans metabolize fats and sugars in similar ways, leading to susceptibility to atherosclerosis and diabetes. When fed high fat diets, hamsters’ LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) will elevate, as in humans, and lead…

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Baboon

Baboons have long been important models of human diseases and for understanding physiology.  This is due to their many similarities to humans. Additionally, their physiological parameters can be measured with the same equipment used for humans.  Some key research areas involving baboons include neonatal lung disease, dental development, excess fat…

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Featured Studies

The tiny fish that has helped unlock the mysteries of human disease

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — In 1993, Leonard Zon had 110 fish tanks and an idea. Zon, a professor of stem cell and regenerative biology at Harvard University, thought to study human diseases in zebrafish. The freshwater fish, native to the streams and rice paddies of India and Myanmar, struck him as…

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