Publications by authors named "Langermans J"

Human and veterinary healthcare professionals are interested in utilizing the gut-microbiome as a target to diagnose, treat, and prevent (gastrointestinal) diseases. However, the current microbiome analysis techniques are expensive and time-consuming, and data interpretation requires the expertise of specialists. Therefore, we explored the development and application of artificial intelligence technology for rapid, affordable, and reliable microbiome profiling in rhesus macaques ().

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how SARS-CoV-2 affects different parts of the body and explores whether the virus itself or the immune response causes these effects.
  • Using a PET imaging technique with specific nanobodies, researchers track the distribution of immune cells and virus-infected cells in macaques during an experimental infection by scanning them at various intervals.
  • The findings reveal that the nanobodies effectively report on immune responses, showing where virus-related lesions occur and how immune cells are recruited in response to the infection, providing a new way to monitor immune activity in living organisms.
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Background: Chronic diarrhea is a common cause of mortality and morbidity in captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). The exact etiology of chronic diarrhea in macaques remains unidentified. The occurrence of diarrhea is frequently linked to dysbiosis within the gut microbiome.

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Marmosets are routinely used in biomedical research, therefore there is an increasing need for updated reference intervals calculated using a large sample size, correct statistics, and considering different variables. Hematological and biochemical values from 472 healthy common marmosets sedated with alphaxalone were collected over a ten-year period (2013-2023). The variables assumed to have influenced the blood-based parameters were compared, i.

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Background: Research infrastructures are facilities or resources that have proven fundamental for supporting scientific research and innovation. However, they are also known to be very expensive in their establishment, operation and maintenance. As by far the biggest share of these costs is always borne by public funders, there is a strong interest and indeed a necessity to develop alternative business models for such infrastructures that allow them to function in a more sustainable manner that is less dependent on public financing.

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Introduction: Contraception is often required for management and population control purposes in group-housed and free-roaming non-human primates. Long-acting reversible contraceptives, including subdermal progestin-releasing implants, are preferred as they eliminate challenges associated with frequent administration. Etonogestrel (ENG)-releasing subdermal implants are reversible and long-acting for a minimum of 3 years, and are commercially available for human use as Implanon or Nexplanon.

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Article Synopsis
  • COVID-19 can cause not only breathing problems but also issues with the brain, known as neurological symptoms. Some people have long-lasting effects called long COVID.
  • Scientists studied four monkeys infected with SARS-CoV-2 to see how the virus affects the brain over time using special scans and tests.
  • They found that the brain showed more activity in specific areas shortly after infection, and certain brain cells were more active in infected monkeys compared to healthy ones, indicating inflammation in the brain.
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Several physiological characteristics and housing conditions are known to affect hematologic and serum biochemical values in macaques. However, the studies that have been conducted either report values calculated based on a small number of animals, were designed specifically to document the effect of a particular condition on the normal range of hematologic and serum biochemical values, or used parametric assumptions to calculate hematologic and serum biochemical reference intervals. We conducted a retrospective longitudinal cohort study to estimate reference intervals for hematologic and serum biochemical values in clinically healthy macaques based on observed percentiles without parametric assumptions.

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To optimize costs and reproductive success, rhesus macaques in biomedical primate research facilities are often peer-reared. Older, dependent infants are typically removed from their natal group to enhance female reproduction. The minimal husbandry age-norm of infant removal is ten months.

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The mammalian virome has been linked to health and disease but our understanding of how it is structured along the longitudinal axis of the mammalian gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and other organs is limited. Here, we report a metagenomic analysis of the prokaryotic and eukaryotic virome occupying luminal and mucosa-associated habitats along the GIT, as well as parenchymal organs (liver, lung and spleen), in two representative mammalian species, the domestic pig and rhesus macaque (six animals per species). Luminal samples from the large intestine of both mammals harboured the highest loads and diversity of bacteriophages (class Caudoviricetes, family Microviridae and others).

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Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is strongly associated with animal health and wellbeing. To identify possible problems of the indoor environment of macaques ( spp.), we assessed the IAQ.

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Caloric restriction (CR) is an effective method to reduce overweight in captive non-human primates (NHPs). CR has been applied to individually- and pair-housed NHPs, but whether applying CR can be effective and safe in group-housed NHPs has not yet been assessed. This study investigates the effect of mild (20%) CR on adult overweight and biochemical parameters, immature growth, veterinary consultations, and reproductive success in multigenerational long-tailed macaque () breeding groups.

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Rationale: The aim of this study was to investigate the application of [F]DPA714 to visualize the inflammation process in the lungs of SARS-CoV-2-infected rhesus monkeys, focusing on the presence of pulmonary lesions, activation of mediastinal lymph nodes and surrounded lung tissue.

Methods: Four experimentally SARS-CoV-2 infected rhesus monkeys were followed for seven weeks post infection (pi) with a weekly PET-CT using [F]DPA714. Two PET images, 10 min each, of a single field-of-view covering the chest area, were obtained 10 and 30 min after injection.

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SARS-CoV-2 causes acute respiratory disease, but many patients also experience neurological complications. Neuropathological changes with pronounced neuroinflammation have been described in individuals after lethal COVID-19, as well as in the CSF of hospitalized patients with neurological complications. To assess whether neuropathological changes can occur after a SARS-CoV-2 infection, leading to mild-to-moderate disease, we investigated the brains of four rhesus and four cynomolgus macaques after pulmonary disease and without overt clinical symptoms.

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Purpose: To investigate light-induced modifications of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum of the RPE in primates.

Methods: Eyes of three terminally anesthetized Rhesus monkeys were exposed to 5000 lux for 10 minutes or kept in the dark. Transmission electron microscopy and electron tomography were conducted on small fragments of retina sampled from different regions of the retina.

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Chest X-ray (CXR), computed tomography (CT), and positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) are noninvasive imaging techniques widely used in human and veterinary pulmonary research and medicine. These techniques have recently been applied in studies of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-exposed non-human primates (NHPs) to complement virological assessments with meaningful translational readouts of lung disease. Our review of the literature indicates that medical imaging of SARS-CoV-2-exposed NHPs enables high-resolution qualitative and quantitative characterization of disease otherwise clinically invisible and potentially provides user-independent and unbiased evaluation of medical countermeasures (MCMs).

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Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a fast and non-invasive modality for the diagnosis of several diseases. In humans, LUS is nowadays of additional value for bedside screening of hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 infected patients. However, the diagnostic value of LUS in SARS-CoV-2 infected rhesus monkeys, with mild-to-moderate disease, is unknown.

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Macaques in captivity are prone to becoming overweight and obese, which may cause several health problems. A diet that mimics the natural diet of macaques may prevent these problems and improve animal welfare. Adjusting captive diets towards a more natural composition may include increasing fiber content and lowering the glycemic index, i.

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Assays to measure SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibodies are important to monitor seroprevalence, to study asymptomatic infections and to reveal (intermediate) hosts. A recently developed assay, the surrogate virus-neutralization test (sVNT) is a quick and commercially available alternative to the "gold standard" virus neutralization assay using authentic virus, and does not require processing at BSL-3 level. The assay relies on the inhibition of binding of the receptor binding domain (RBD) on the spike (S) protein to human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) by antibodies present in sera.

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The post-acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection was investigated in rhesus () and cynomolgus macaques (). During the acute phase of infection, SARS-CoV-2 was shed via the nose and throat, and viral RNA was occasionally detected in feces. This phase coincided with a transient change in systemic immune activation.

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Macaques are among the most commonly used non-human primates in biomedical research. They are highly social animals, yet biomedical studies often require group-living animals to be pair-housed in a controlled environment. A change in environment causes only short-term stress in adapting individuals, while non-adapting animals may experience long-term stress that can adversely affect study results.

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Medical imaging as method to assess the longitudinal process of a SARS-CoV-2 infection in non-human primates is commonly used in research settings. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is regularly used to determine the local virus production and immune effects of SARS-CoV-2 in the lower respiratory tract. However, the potential interference of those two diagnostic modalities is unknown in non-human primates.

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Due to the aging population, modern society is facing an increasing prevalence of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD is an age-related chronic neurodegenerative disorder for which no satisfying therapy exists. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the onset of AD is necessary to find targets for protective treatment.

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Contraception is an important population control method for the colony management of primates housed in captivity. Etonogestrel (ENG) implants (i.e.

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Male introductions into captive primate breeding groups can be risky and unsuccessful. However, they are necessary to prevent inbreeding in naturalistic breeding groups. The procedure used to introduce new individuals may affect the success and influence the risks associated with group introductions.

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