Comparative Medicine Infectious Diseases- Bethesda

National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The CMB Infectious Disease Pathogenesis Section assisted Principal Investigators with experimental design, tissue collection and preparation, interpretation of histopathology findings, and assistance with manuscript preparation. CMB Research Support Specialists also provided technical expertise and support to NIAID Principal Investigators. Both pathology and technical proficiency resulted in numerous co-authorship opportunities. The CMB has undertaken the challenge of bringing a gnotobiotic facility on line and will initiate internal breeding. The CMB has an active Assisted Reproduction Technologies and Cryopreservation unit. This year the ARTiC group created a CAG-OFP mouse, a transgenic mouse with orange fluorescing protein in its DNA, by pronuclear microinjection. We found six moustached tamarins with a rare human disease called pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. This disease is characterized by the accumulation of surfactant in lung alveoli without generating an inflammatory response. No spontaneous animal model exist. Using immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy we confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. The moustached tamarin could be the first spontaneous animal model for the study of this disease. We have submitted an abstract for a poster session at an NCRR meeting to be held this month on campus. We have also found spontaneous intracardiac thrombosis and aortic aneurysms in tamarins. A manuscript has been submitted to Comparative Medicine and is under review.