Many drugs and medical devices are designed to be compatible with human biochemistry and immunology. Consequently, the Institute relies increasingly on nonhuman primates as the biomedical model most closely resembling human physiology. Preclinical studies are in progress to evaluate the safety of administering drugs directly to the brain. This method may be required in the treatment of serious neurological disorders, in which direct drug administration is needed to circumvent regulatory mechanisms such as blood-brain barriers. Using magnetic resonance imaging to target and verify implant location, SwRI researchers successfully inserted small-diameter intracerebroventricular cannulas in the brains of rhesus monkeys.
Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of death by poisoning in the United States.
Researchers at SwRI are establishing a baboon model to test drugs developed to treat carbon monoxide poisoning. Currently, no pharmacological intervention exists, leaving patients with oxygen therapy as their only treatment option. The experimentation requires a specialized inhalation exposure system and continuous monitoring of multiple parameters. Copyright 1996 by Southwest Research Institute. All rights reserved under U.S. Copyright Law and International Conventions.