An Unexpected Symbiosis of Animal Welfare and Clinical Relevance in a Refined Nonhuman Primate Model of Human Autoimmune Disease

Aging Western populations are confronted with an increasing prevalence of chronic inflammatory and degenerative diseases for which adequate treatments are lacking. One of the major hurdles in therapy development is the poor translation of disease concepts, often developed in rodent disease models, into effective treatments for the patient. Reasons for the high failure rate of promising drug candidates are unforeseen toxicity and lack of efficacy. Essential elements of human disease are apparently lacking in the current preclinically used animal models. Results obtained in a generic nonhuman primate model of human autoimmunity, the marmoset experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model, are discussed to emphasize the claim that primates are essential complementary models that can help to bridge the wide translational gap between mouse and man.