# Development of a Wake Forest Multi-Species NHP Biorepository to Support Interdisciplinary Aging Studies

> **NIH NIH R21** · WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2021 · $247,949

## Abstract

ASTRACT
Non-human primates (NHP) such as baboon, cynomolgus macaque, rhesus macaque, and vervet are
susceptible to the same age-related health challenges and diseases as humans. The overall aging trajectory in
NHP is also influenced by stressors and lifestyle similar to humans. Research in NHP allows for controlled
environments, providing longitudinal data with less “noise” than in human studies. The genetic, metabolic and
physiologic similarities between NHP and humans make findings in NHP directly translatable to our
understanding of human disease processes, including genetic predispositions and early molecular indicators of
these processes. In the R21 phase of this project, we will 1) harmonize existing samples and data in four NHP
species that can be leveraged to better understand molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying human aging,
and 2) implement the Monkey Inventory and Data management of Samples (MIDAS), a LabKey Server data
management system, for integration of omic data and pedigree data with clinical and research data from Aim 1.
In the subsequent R33 phase, we will demonstrate the unique value of this harmonized, comparative cross-
species resource for aging studies using integrated omics and clinical measures to quantify aging in liver and
plasma across the lifespan in these four NHP. We will 1) determine the biological age trajectory for each NHP
species from multiple chronological ages that capture human equivalent 18-80 years, by measuring molecules
known to reflect biological age including gene expression, DNA methylation, and proteins in liver samples (n=48
for each species (F, 24; M,24)); and 2) identify circulating molecular signatures that correlate with liver specific
signatures of aging that precede clinical markers of aging common to the four NHP species Alignment and
harmonization of data and samples for these four NHP cohorts will provide a critical resource translating
discoveries to humans, and supporting interdisciplinary studies of aging across the lifespan.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10294056
- **Project number:** 1R21AG073733-01
- **Recipient organization:** WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** Laura A Cox
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $247,949
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-08-15 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10294056

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10294056, Development of a Wake Forest Multi-Species NHP Biorepository to Support Interdisciplinary Aging Studies (1R21AG073733-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10294056. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*