Development of a Wake Forest Multi-Species NHP Biorepository to Support Interdisciplinary Aging Studies

Non-human primates (NHP) such as baboon, cynomolgus macaque, rhesus macaque, and vervet are susceptible to the same age-related health challenges and diseases as humans. The overall aging trajectory in NHP is also influenced by stressors and lifestyle similar to humans. Research in NHP allows for controlled environments, providing longitudinal data with less “noise” than in human studies. The genetic, metabolic and physiologic similarities between NHP and humans make findings in NHP directly translatable to our understanding of human disease processes, including genetic predispositions and early molecular indicators of these processes. In the R21 phase of this project, we will 1) harmonize existing samples and data in four NHP species that can be leveraged to better understand molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying human aging, and 2) implement the Monkey Inventory and Data management of Samples (MIDAS), a LabKey Server data management system, for integration of omic data and pedigree data with clinical and research data from Aim 1. In the subsequent R33 phase, we will demonstrate the unique value of this harmonized, comparative cross- species resource for aging studies using integrated omics and clinical measures to quantify aging in liver and plasma across the lifespan in these four NHP. We will 1) determine the biological age trajectory for each NHP species from multiple chronological ages that capture human equivalent 18-80 years, by measuring molecules known to reflect biological age including gene expression, DNA methylation, and proteins in liver samples (n=48 for each species (F, 24; M,24)); and 2) identify circulating molecular signatures that correlate with liver specific signatures of aging that precede clinical markers of aging common to the four NHP species Alignment and harmonization of data and samples for these four NHP cohorts will provide a critical resource translating discoveries to humans, and supporting interdisciplinary studies of aging across the lifespan.