Vervet monkeys helping us understand Alzheimer's risk
Curation and Informatics Component
This program maintains a colony of vervet monkeys and shares their samples and data so scientists can learn more about aging and Alzheimer's risk for people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winston-Salem, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11332903 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This program keeps and curates a large colony of vervet (African green) monkeys that are used as a model for human aging and Alzheimer’s disease risk. It provides animals, tissue and blood samples, brain imaging data, and genetic resources to researchers nationwide and supports non-invasive imaging and biomarker studies. Scientists use these resources to study amyloid buildup, synaptic changes, physical function decline, and related metabolic and infectious disease questions. The resource shares data, expertise, and training to accelerate discoveries that may one day help people at risk for Alzheimer's.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This resource does not enroll patients directly; it serves researchers who use vervet samples and data to study Alzheimer's and related conditions.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate treatment or enrollment in a clinical therapy trial will not receive direct benefits from this animal-colony resource.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the resource could speed discoveries about causes and early markers of Alzheimer's that lead to better prevention or treatments for patients.
How similar studies have performed: Using nonhuman primates like vervets to study aging and amyloid-related changes is an established approach that has produced useful insights, though direct patient therapies from this work remain limited to date.
Where this research is happening
Winston-Salem, United States
- Wake Forest University Health Sciences — Winston-Salem, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jorgensen, Matthew — Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Jorgensen, Matthew
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.