Transgenic Monkeys: could be science's new Mouse!

The mouse has long been used in science to test a realm of different diseases and genetic mutations known to humans. More recently, scientists have began to move on to more complex organisms, such as this article features, like the Monkey. The creatures have both closer cognitive abilities to humans as well as social interactions that can be related more to humans. It is these components that researchers can take into consideration when observing the effects of the mutation or disease (that which had been grown in the monkey). Diseases such as Alzheimer's and autism are just two examples of a vast amount of possible mutations/diseases that can be found within the human genome that which scientists can insert into the monkeys. Although the use of monkeys in science is new, it could be the key to a world of answers. There are millions of people whose lives are effected everyday by things like autism, understanding how they happen is just the first step in being able to successfully treat them. Taking it one step further, the monkeys would also allow the scientists to test different treatment possibilities on the monkeys. This would be more beneficial to humans than testing the same treatments on the mouse.

Source: http://www.nature.com/news/precision-gene-editing-paves-way-for-transgenic-monkeys-1.14098

Further information on using monkeys to do research on can be found at: http://whsc.emory.edu/home/publications/health-sciences/emory-health/winter09/monkey-models.html