# A non-human primate resource for pre-clinical studies of neurodegenerative disease

> **NIH NIH R24** · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $444,976

## Abstract

This application aims to develop a highly novel non-human primate (NHP) resource for investigators
performing pre-clinical studies in three neurodegenerative diseases that affect humans: multiple sclerosis (MS),
Batten disease, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Subpopulations of Japanese macaques (JMs)
housed at the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) spontaneously develop conditions that
mimic each of these diseases. Japanese macaque encephalomyelitis (JME) shares many of the
pathophysiological features of multiple sclerosis (MS) in humans including demyelination and axonal damage
linked to nervous system attacks by myelin-reactive immune cells. Japanese macaque Batten disease (JMBD)
is genetically and pathophysiologically similar to a form of human neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (CLN7) that
causes vision loss, motor dysfunction and other neurological symptoms. Japanese macaque dominant drusen
(JMDD) is a model of human AMD, which is the leading cause of vision loss among people over the age of 50.
At present, there are limited or no treatments for any of the human forms of these diseases, making these NHP
models extraordinarily valuable to the research community.
 Ongoing studies in each of these NHP disease models have demonstrated that specific groups of
animals within the colony or animals with specific genotypes are pre-disposed to each of these conditions. As
a result, it is possible to generate animals that develop each disease through targeted breeding, providing a
unique opportunity to generate a resource for investigators focused on studying mechanisms of disease onset
and progression, or who are developing strategies to treat each disease. We therefore aim to: (1) develop
targeted breeding colonies of JME, JMBD, and JMDD animals; and (2) develop a bank of tissues from
unaffected JMs and animals with JME, JMBD, and JMDD.
 All together, this proposal will develop a novel resource that will provide investigators interested in MS,
Batten disease, or AMD with access to animals and tissues to support pre-clinical studies aimed at delaying,
halting or reversing disease progression.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9828791
- **Project number:** 5R24NS104161-03
- **Recipient organization:** OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Larry S. Sherman
- **Activity code:** R24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $444,976
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-01-01 → 2021-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9828791

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9828791, A non-human primate resource for pre-clinical studies of neurodegenerative disease (5R24NS104161-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9828791. Licensed CC0.

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