The possibility of transgenic primate models (suggested by recent research) could revolutionize medical research, offering a proving ground for new therapies that look promising in mice but seem too risky to try in humans.

If the genes associated with some cases of human illnesses such as Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Alzheimer’s disease were introduced into primates, colonies of the genetically altered animals could be used to test therapies for these disorders. This would probably be far more effective than studying the effects of the genes in, say, mice or rats, because primates’ brains are much closer to humans’ in terms of complex motor functions and cognition.