The baboon as a non-human primate model of human schistosome infection

Over the past three decades, intensive studies of murine schistosomiasis ha ve provided important clues to the understanding of the human disease, but growing evidence suggests that these results derived from highly inbred str ains of mice might not have direct applicability to the human infection. Re cent data based on the baboon indicate that infection in this non-human pri mate might mirror the human situation. In this review, Mramba Nyindo and Id le Farah demonstrate that baboons provide an excellent non-human primate mo del that produces pathology and disease closely resembling that observed in humans, and address how studies in baboons can provide insights into mecha nisms regulating schistosomiasis mansoni pathology and immunity. They also address, in a general way, issues related to the use of non-human primates in biomedical research.