ARTs in action in non-human primates: Introduction to workshop proceedings

The workshop upon which these proceedings are based was designed with three objectives in mind: 1) to review the current state of reproductive research employing the assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) in non-human primates (NHPs), including both basic concepts and specific applications; 2) to enhance interactions and collaborative efforts within and between National Primate Research Centers (NPRC) and academic institutions concerning these technologies and reproductive research; and 3) to identify and discuss new developments in reproductive physiology, gamete/embryo biology and efforts to exploit the ARTs in nonhuman primate species. Our underlying premise is the understanding that NHPs have, and should continue to play a significant role in biomedical research by offering a biological substratum remarkably similar to that of the human species, that is, they represent a clinically relevant model. Of course, the impact that research with NHPs will have on the overall understanding of the pathophysiology and treatment of human diseases is dependent upon animal availability and here it is assumed that meeting the NHP needs of the biomedical research community will require the use of the ARTs.