{
  "id": 17748888,
  "title": "Autism research involving monkeys contends with uphill battle",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/autism-research-involving-monkeys-contends-with-uphill-battle",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-11-02T05:00:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Transmitter",
    "slug": "the-transmitter",
    "url": "https://www.thetransmitter.org/what-if-nonhuman-primate-research-goes-away/autism-research-involving-monkeys-contends-with-uphill-battle/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Macaques and marmosets provide a more accurate representation of autism than mice in research, but funding instability and obstacles at primate centers in the United States may hinder progress. In September 2025, David Amaral's team at the University of California, Davis, celebrated the birth of their first genetically modified macaque with a CHD8 gene variant, an essential step towards understanding autism's neurobiology. The team meticulously genotyped and phenotyped the animal and is creating a second one, needing around ten genetically modified monkeys to fully investigate the causes of megalencephaly. However, Amaral expresses concerns about the future of this work, as the Oregon National Primate Research Center, where much of the research is conducted, plans to transition to nonanimal models and downsize. The facility's artificial reproductive technology core, unique in the U.S., is crucial to the project. If the center loses its ability to produce genetically modified macaques, the research could prematurely end. While there are now more than half a dozen monkey models of autism and related conditions, researchers face challenges in maintaining international collaborations, resources, and technical expertise. Funding cuts and delays could result in losing specialized expertise or depopulating primate colonies, leading to significant difficulties in rebuilding. Despite these challenges, studies using monkey models, such as the SHANK3 variation in macaques and marmosets, offer valuable insights into autism and related brain conditions, as they more accurately reflect certain aspects of the human condition.",
  "summary": "Macaques and marmosets recapitulate the condition’s core traits better than mice can, but funding uncertainty and challenges at primate centers in the United States could make this work difficult to continue.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}