# Expanded SPF Rhesus Macaque Breeding Colony for AIDS Research

> **NIH NIH U42** · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $1,714,390

## Abstract

Project Summary, Overall
“Expanded SPF Rhesus Macaque Breeding Colony for AIDS Research”
The Indian rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) develops a disease that closely mimics human
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) when infected by simian immunodeficiency virus
(SIV) or chimeric simian-human immunodeficiency viruses (SHIV), and represents the best
animal model for HIV infection. Preclinical vaccine development is heavily dependent on the SIV
and SHIV rhesus macaque models. The value and utility of the model are markedly enhanced
by improving the level of microbial and genetic characterization. Macaques free of ubiquitous
viruses that are homologues of human viruses responsible for opportunistic infections are
essential for a growing number of AIDS-related opportunistic infection models and for viral
vaccine vector development based on these agents. The utility of macaque models for
immunological research has been hindered by the unprecedented complexity of their major
histocompatibility complexes. Comprehensive MHC genotyping has the potential to
revolutionize the use of macaques in infectious disease research and to guide functional
immunology studies. MHC-restricted cellular immune responses are crucial in protective
immunity and resistance to infectious diseases.
The comprehensive objective of this application is to increase the capacity of the ONPRC AIDS
Research Expanded SPF Breeding Colony to provide genetically characterized Indian-origin
rhesus macaques free of a broad number of enzootic and zoonotic agents to enhance the
usefulness of the resource for cutting edge opportunistic agent and vaccine research.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10457474
- **Project number:** 5U42OD023038-07
- **Recipient organization:** OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Michael K Axthelm
- **Activity code:** U42 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $1,714,390
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-08-01 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10457474

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10457474, Expanded SPF Rhesus Macaque Breeding Colony for AIDS Research (5U42OD023038-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10457474. Licensed CC0.

---

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