Table 2.

Tools to study NHPs as related to the immune system

Experimental models/tools	Pros	Cons
In vitro measurement on cell culture	Can target specific effects of the studied product on specific cell types	Simplistic model, systemic effects not taken into consideration
	Very helpful for investigating cellular and molecular mechanisms	NHP administration generally not physiological
	Large number of very well characterized systems with efficient markers of activation/inhibition
Genomics/proteomics	New analytical tools	Cost of utilization
	Very precise results	Availability of source material
	Can be used in fundamental research as well as clinical trials
Animal models	Mouse has a very well characterized genome	Despite high similarities with man, uncertainty whether mice and men react the same way
	Complete living organism	Difficulty in measuring environmental components on a mouse
	Genetically modifiable (transgenic and knock out mice)
	Large number of well characterized models for several human pathologies
Clinical trials	Gold standard for safety and efficacy	Weakness or lack of proper markers to evaluate success of intervention
	Direct and systemic effects measured on health	Improper administration/standardization of NHPs
Epidemiological studies	Large-scale studies on the population	Challenge in scientifically measuring dietary exposure in the population
	Can include both the environmental and germ line components of disease	Large cohorts needed for significant conclusions