Product name
UC Davis offers non-human primate asthma modelSummary
Functional Analysis of Asthma Drug LeadsOrganization name
UC Davis Clinical and Translational Science CenteProfile
As the search for asthma drugs with new mechanisms of action continues, the need for well established animal asthma models closely resembling humans becomes more acute. Challenging the airway epithelium by Ascaris suum worms generates a strong allergic reaction. However, such response to an uncommon parasite may not be truly reflective of human asthma.
California National Primate Resource Center (CNPRC) has developed a unique asthma model in non-human primates (macaques) based on the challenge with the most common human allergens. The unique model is based on an induction by common asthmatic potentiators, like dust mite, ozone, smoke etc.
Advantages of the primate model include:
- Nearly identical genetic, anatomical and physiologic similarity to human epithelium
- shares many of the key features of human allergic asthma
- postnatal development is similar to infants and children
The model is not for licensing per se. They would like to continue using this model for collaborative development of asthma drugs, and will be actively looking for industry partners. They have just completed a very successful multi-year collaborative study with a leading asthma drug pharma company from the Bay Area. The model was used to analyze mechanisms of action, efficacy and other anti-inflammatory functions of the drug leads.
The model is universally applicable to various stages of drug development and the comparative studies, including studies of anti-allergenic effects in neonatal lungs .
Additional information is provided in the pdf below and on request via the feedback link.
Description File
Asthma_Primate_Model_408.pdf
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