They may be used to understand normal or abnormal structure and function or determine the efficacy of treatments where no
other suitable animal models exist.
One obstacle has so far been the lack
of suitable animal models capable of recapitulating crucial aspects of the human infection.
And in the meantime, the free availability of the anticipated glucosepane - detecting antibodies generated by the research that SENS Research Foundation funded at Yale will enable the identification of
more suitable animal models for the demonstration of a hard health outcome.
The team's results have the potential to improve the current understanding of autoimmune disease and its treatment — also because up to now, science has
lacked suitable animal models that present the same immune deficiencies that are observed in humans.
«The next stage would be to repeat the study in primates, a more
suitable animal model where HIV infection induces disease, in order to further demonstrate elimination of HIV - 1 DNA in latently infected T cells and other sanctuary sites for HIV - 1, including brain cells,» Dr. Khalili said.
Identifying the molecular triggers for the onset of AD - related cognitive decline presently requires the use
of suitable animal models, such as the 3xTg - AD mice, which develop both amyloid and tangle pathology.