The United States faces a shortage of monkeys amid rising demand for COVID-19 research-News-The Columbus Dispatch

The competition to help the coronavirus vaccine end the pandemic has consumed the scientific community and created an increasing demand for monkeys, an essential resource.

Monkeys are used in preclinical studies to test the safety and efficacy of vaccines before pharmaceutical companies call on human volunteers. However, with more than 100 vaccines being developed around the world, the number of monkeys migrating is not sufficient.

“There is a shortage,” said Dr. Skip Bohm, Deputy Director and Chief Veterinary Officer at Tulane National Primate Research Center.

Like other aspects of society, pandemics emphasize problems that already exist. Research centers for non-human primates have been tense in recent years due to restrictions on imported monkeys from countries such as China and India, and lack of funding to support domestic breeding.

“We have always been very close to production levels to meet the demand for research, which has been the case for several years,” Baume said. “When the COVID pandemic occurred, it pushed us further.”

Defenders of animal rights blame the use of primates in experiments, but researchers say it is essential to the development of medicine.

According to the center’s website, the National Center for Primate Research seeks to use the minimum number of animals needed to obtain valid scientific results. Unfortunately, animal models cannot currently be completely replaced by computer simulations or cell cultures.

“We all hope that there will be days when animals don’t need to be used for research, but now … every human has regular x-rays, regular CT, or blood tests. I don’t go to the inspection.

According to the National Center for Primates Research, rhesus monkeys, or rhesus monkeys, are the most commonly used monkeys in preclinical studies because they share about 93% of their genes with humans.

Jay Rappaport, director and chief academic director of Tulane’s National Center for Primates Research, said that the species has been used in research for years, and scientists have learned how its immune system fights pathogens, especially the coronavirus. He says he is the most familiar.

“Their immune system and immune response are very similar to those found in humans and can give us very good ideas about the safety and efficacy of vaccines,” he said.

According to Deborah Fuller, director of the Center’s Department of Infectious Diseases and Translational Medicine, the Washington National Center for Primate Research breeds pig tail monkeys that can play an important role in second-generation vaccines. I will. This monkey species is more human-like in terms of pregnancy and underlying health.

According to a 2018 analysis by the National Institutes of Health, the projected demand for monkeys at the National Primate Center will increase by 20% to 50%. Most centers weren’t equipped to accommodate such an increase-then a pandemic hit.

Tulane’s Primate Research Institute has about 5,000 monkeys, but due to age, health, and colony dynamics, only about 500 are used for normal annual research. This year, Bohm estimates that the same number of primates may be needed throughout the center just for COVID-19 research.

To meet demand, NIH and research centers needed to work more closely than ever before. The NIH has created a committee to prioritize the COVID-19 study, and the center has developed a master protocol to optimize the study, including sharing control groups.

“By doing this, you can probably save half of the animals,” Trumpetport said.

Working together can reduce the pressure on the primate center, but space, another limited resource constrained by the coronavirus pandemic, does not help.

Scientists use animals in preclinical studies because they can introduce animals into the virus. The virus is considered unethical for human testing. To be safe, the animals are kept in a special facility called the Animal Biosafety Level 3 Lab.

Many facilities have laboratories for small animals such as mice and hamsters, but few are large enough to accommodate monkeys. Once scientists have finished developing the vaccine, they will have to wait until the lab is available.

“The real bottleneck is access to ABSL 3,” Fuller said. “(Scientists) are ready and their products are ready, but now they are spinning their thumbs.”

Building a Level 3 lab will cost between $ 75 million and $ 100 million, according to Rapaport. Some primate centers have upgraded their facilities to “biobubbles” and use existing structures to comply with requirements without the need to build a lab from scratch.

“This is a quick way for them to use their existing space,” said Sally Thompson Iritani, director of the Washington National Center for Primates Research. “Currently, biobubbles are in very high demand as there are other facilities looking for it.”

Thompson Iritani asked about the biobubbles at her research center in Washington and said it would take six to nine months before she could contact someone to evaluate the facility.

Experts say there is little that can be done to correct the shortage of monkeys and laboratories for the study of COVID-19, but there is still time to prepare for the next pandemic. They say primate centers and other institutions need more money to expand breeding colonies and build laboratories.

According to Baume, some research centers have discussed the possibility of using animal sanctuaries “in the event of an unexpected emergency.”

“I’m sure this isn’t the last pandemic we’ll see,” he said. “That is inevitable.”

Azuki

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