Rhesus macaques as a tractable physiological model of human ageing
Chiou, KL; Montague, MJ; Goldman, EA; et al.Watowich, MM; Sams, SN; Song, J; Horvath, JE; Sterner, KN; Ruiz-Lambides, AV; Martinez, MI; Higham, JP; Brent, L; Platt, ML; Snyder-Mackler, N
Date: 21 September 2020
Article
Journal
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Publisher
Royal Society
Publisher DOI
Abstract
Research in the basic biology of ageing is increasingly identifying mechanisms and modifiers of ageing in
short-lived organisms such as worms and mice. The ultimate goal of such work is to improve human
health, particularly in the growing segment of the population surviving into old age. Thus far, few
interventions have robustly ...
Research in the basic biology of ageing is increasingly identifying mechanisms and modifiers of ageing in
short-lived organisms such as worms and mice. The ultimate goal of such work is to improve human
health, particularly in the growing segment of the population surviving into old age. Thus far, few
interventions have robustly transcended species boundaries in the laboratory, suggesting that changes in
approach are needed to avoid costly failures in translational human research. In this review, we discuss
both well-established and alternative model organisms for ageing research and outline how research in
nonhuman primates is sorely needed, first, to translate findings from shorter-lived organisms to humans,
and second, to understand key aspects of ageing that are unique to primate biology. We focus on rhesus
macaques as a particularly promising model organism for ageing research due to their social and
physiological similarity to humans as well as the existence of key resources that have been developed for
this species. As a case study, we compare gene regulatory signatures of ageing in the peripheral immune
system between humans and rhesus macaques from a free-ranging study population in Cayo Santiago.
We show that both mRNA expression and DNA methylation signatures of immune ageing are broadly
shared between macaques and humans, indicating strong conservation of the trajectory of ageing in the
immune system. We conclude with a review of key issues in the biology of ageing for which macaques
and other nonhuman primates may uniquely contribute valuable insights, including the effects of social
gradients on health and ageing. We anticipate that continuing research in rhesus macaques and other
nonhuman primates will play a critical role in conjunction with model organism and human
biodemographic research in ultimately improving translational outcomes and extending health and
longevity in our ageing population.
Psychology - old structure
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