Yerkes National Primate Research Center

Creation of an AIDS vaccine currently in its second human clinical trial. The vaccine initially proved quite successful in nonhuman primate testing and is considered to be a leading candidate in the search for a viable human AIDS vaccine.
Isolation and characterization of T-cells that respond to HIV.
Identification of the first animal model for AIDS-related dementia.
Discovery that the strength of the immune response very early in the course of HIV infection predicts whether HIV eventually will invade the brain.

Pioneering use of monoclonal antibodies, anti-sense DNA probes and gene therapy to prevent vascular lesions.
Identification of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGRF) for preventing blockage of arteries following balloon angioplasty.

Identification of deleterious effects of estrogen on cognitive function.
Determination that spatial memory declines at a greater rate in nonhuman primate males than females, suggesting a species' sex may influence age-related cognitive decline.

Development of a new class of compounds, phenyltropanes, which are being tested as candidate medications for treatment of cocaine addiction.
Identification of a new gene called CART (cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript), whose expression increases with the administration of cocaine.
Finding that CART peptides are partially responsible for many of the behavioral changes caused by cocaine and also regulates feeding. Researchers at Yerkes now are studying new ways to treat obesity.
Determination that neurochemical changes in the brain associated with cocaine use also can be triggered by environmental stimuli in the absence of cocaine.
Training awake monkeys to perform tasks while being imaged in a PET scanner. Determination that cocaine's effects in the brain depend upon the context in which the drug is acquired.

Discovery that capuchin monkeys cooperate to obtain food and share the rewards of their efforts. This behavior has implications for understanding the evolutionary basis of reciprocity, a fundamental feature of human society.
Finding that chimpanzees respond to crowding with powerful coping mechanisms rather than becoming aggressive.
Demonstration that chimpanzees recognize faces as well as people.
Observed similarities between chimpanzee culture and human culture through chimpanzees' ability to adopt social norms, pass down behaviors and traditions to other individuals and to formulate arbitrary sequences of behaviors specific to individual social groups.

Using MRI and PET imaging, Yerkes is working to research and develop discovery isotopes to aid in diagnosing, treating and monitoring diseases with the goal of identifying earlier and more accurately the pharmacological effects of the compounds tested. These findings will be used to determine the potential use of these compounds in diagnosis, treatment and monitoring in humans.

Transformation of an antisocial mouse into a more social animal by genetically manipulating the distribution of a specific receptor in the brain.
Discovery that a specific neuropeptide in the brain is essentil for social recognition in mice.
Identification of unique neural mechanisms involved in mother-infant interactions using non-invasive techniques. These studies provide information on the neural basis of diseases such as autism and schizophrenia.
Determination of the role of steriod hormones, neuropeptides, environmental variables and neuroendocrine mechanisms in primate behavior and reproduction.
Finding that a single gene, the vasopressin receptor, is responsible for making promiscuous male meadow voles monogomous.
Discovered the length of seemingly non-functional DNA, also referred to a junk DNA, may shape social behavior
Determination that tamoxifen induces anxiety-like behavior in female monkeys. Further research is being conducted to help determine whether an anti-depressant typically used in people normalizes behavior and certain neurobiological endpoints in tamoxifen-treated monkeys.

Identification of cellular locales where dopamine and glutamate interact within the basal ganglia, the network of neurons that control movement.
Discovery of specific glutamate receptors as targets for the development of new treatments and therapies.

Discovery of a dramatic reorganization of brain cells early in life that is vital for normal visual development.
Characterization of the importance of neural circuitry involved in eye growth from birth.
Determiniation that the visual experience of one eye influences the growth and quality of vision in the other eye.
Identification of the environmental signals that the oculomotor system required in early life to nurture proper eye calibration and the development of normal vision.
Discovery that eye growth can be influenced by environmental factors as late as adolescence.

Successful use of antibodies to foster long-term acceptance of transplanted organs in mice without immunosuppressive medicine.
Development of new techniques for precise quantification and typing of T-cell subpopulations as means for measuring the success or failure of a transplanted organ.
Discovery that a new investigational medication belatacept is effective in preserving transplanted kidney function while at the same time avoiding the toxic side effects that are common in the currently used long-term, immunosuppressive transplant medications.

Research Advances