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What kind of research is conducted at the CNPRC?
Why do CNPRC researchers use monkeys for their research?
What types of primates are housed at the CNPRC?
Why does the CNPRC primarily use rhesus monkeys?
Where do the CNPRC monkeys come from?
Where do the monkeys live?
What do monkeys eat?
What happens to the monkeys after they're involved in a research study?
Are the monkeys in pain?
Are the monkeys only available to UC Davis researchers?
Can I visit the CNPRC monkeys?
What does SPF mean?
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Q. What kind of research is conducted at the CNPRC?
Research at the CNPRC is focused into four primary areas:
- Infectious diseases and immunology
- Respiratory biology and disease
- Reproduction and regenerative medicine
- Behavior and neuroscience
AIDS research is one area of infectious disease research and includes studies related to pediatric AIDS, vaccine development, and mechanisms of virus transmission. Other infectious diseases include cytomegalovirus (CMV) and studies on tuberculosis and malaria. Investigators also study reproductive issues associated with fertility and toxins in the environment that are considered "endocrine disruptors". They also study diseases that affect the fetus and infant and new treatments for blood and kidney disorders using stem cell and gene therapies. The CNPRC is home to a large, interdisciplinary pulmonary research team that studies the biology of both healthy and diseased lungs, specifically the effects of air pollutants and particulates, and the relationship between these contaminants and childhood asthma. Another research focus is the study of the physiological and health effects of chronic stress. The CNPRC is also involved in research related to Alzheimer's disease, methods for healthy aging, and autism.
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Q. Why do CNPRC researchers use monkeys for their research?
Since most biomedical research on human diseases cannot be conducted on humans for ethical reasons, animals are essential for understanding disease processes and for testing new treatments and therapies. For studying many human diseases and conditions, the best model is provided by nonhuman primates. Monkeys are genetically close to humans and therefore have many anatomical, behavioral, developmental and physiological similarities. For example, rhesus macaques, unlike other mammalian species, have a menstrual cycle and hormonal patterns comparable to humans, making them crucial for studying issues related to fertility, pregnancy, and changes that occur with menopause. Monkeys are also susceptible to an immunodeficiency virus similar to HIV, making them ideal for the study of AIDS and potential vaccines and treatments for the disease. Since monkeys in breeding colonies can live well past their normal lifespan in the wild, they have also provided opportunities for aging research, such as Alzheimer's disease. Nonhuman primates have also made significant contributions to the study of hepatitis, malaria, respiratory viral diseases, Parkinson's disease, stem cell transplantation, and gene therapy.
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Q. What types of primates are housed at the CNPRC?
The majority of monkeys housed at the CNPRC - about 5,100 - are rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Rhesus monkeys are native to Pakistan, India, Nepal and parts of Afghanistan, China and southeast Asia. The center has about 250 cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis), also known as crab-eating or long-tailed macaques, which are native to southeast Asia, Borneo and the Philippines. The CNPRC is also home to about 70 titi monkeys (Callicebus cupreus), which are found in parts of South America.
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Q. Why does the CNPRC primarily use rhesus monkeys?
Rhesus monkeys, one of the most common species used in biomedical research, share about 93 percent of their genes with humans. They are also widely used because they breed well in captivity. Rhesus monkeys offer many advantages because of their close similarity to humans. For example, lung development in primates closely parallels human lung development, allowing researchers to study asthma and the effects of secondhand tobacco smoke.
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Q. Where do the CNPRC monkeys come from?
The vast majority of the monkeys are bred on site. The Center occasionally acquires a small number of monkeys each year from other primate breeding facilities. No monkeys are obtained from wild populations.
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Q. Where do the monkeys live?
Over half of the Center's approximately 5,400 monkeys live outdoors. They are housed either in half-acre field corrals or conical-shaped "corn cribs." Outdoor enclosures contain swings, jungle gyms and shelters for the monkeys, as well as supplemental heat during the winter months. Indoor monkeys are housed in cages and paired with another monkey during the day. They are provided with chew toys, televisions and videos, treats, foraging activities, colorful posters and mirrors that enable them to see other monkeys in nearby cages.
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Q. What do monkeys eat?
In the wild, rhesus monkeys thrive on fruits, seeds, roots, herbs and insects. In captivity, monkeys primarily eat monkey chow, which is a specially formulated dry food offering an ideal balance of nutrients. At the CNPRC, the monkeys are also fed fruit, vegetables and nuts twice a week to provide them with variety and to supplement their diet. Outdoor monkeys also forage in the grass for roots, seeds, and insects.
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Q. What happens to the monkeys after they are involved in a research study?
Not all of the CNPRC monkeys are involved in research studies; some are used exclusively for breeding. The outcome for a monkey upon conclusion of a research study is dependent on the type of study and whether the monkey was part of a "control" group. A control group in a study serves as the basis of comparison when assessing the effects of a treatment, and members of a control group often receive no treatment, a "usual" or "standard" treatment or a placebo. Animals serving as controls may be returned to the breeding colony or assigned to another experiment. However, in some cases, animals involved in research studies must be humanely euthanized upon completion of the study to allow the analysis of the effects of a disease or a treatment on the animal's tissues. This provides critical information directly relevant to humans.
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Q. Are the monkeys in pain?
All research is conducted humanely under strict compliance with the Animal Welfare Act, which governs how laboratory animals are housed, cared for and used in investigational studies. The law requires that any procedures causing more than slight or momentary discomfort be performed using appropriate pain-relieving drugs. It requires the use of anesthesia for surgical and other invasive procedures, the same as is done with humans. It also stipulates that animals be euthanized during or after a procedure if they would otherwise endure chronic pain.
Primate center veterinarians and scientists do everything possible to ensure that animals involved in research projects are comfortable. Veterinarians also provide the animals with routine health care, including physical exams and dental care.
Research projects conducted at the CNPRC are reviewed by Center personnel, university committees and government officials. Studies require prior approval by the UC Davis Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), which ensures that the project also meets all federal laws governing animal care and use. The CNPRC's Research Advisory Committee also reviews proposals simultaneously with the IACUC. The CNPRC is part of the UC Davis Animal Care Program which is accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC), a private, nonprofit group that promotes the humane treatment of animals in science through voluntary accreditation. UC Davis is one of more than 770 research institutions and other organizations in 29 countries worldwide that have earned AAALAC accreditation, demonstrating the program commitment to responsible animal care and use.
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Q. Are the monkeys only available to UC Davis researchers?
Although the CNPRC is located at UC Davis, the center is a national resource and provides opportunities for research to investigators around the U.S. The CNPRC has 26 staff scientists, who hold joint appointments with various departments on campus. The center also hosts about 66 Affiliate Scientists who work with Staff Scientists on their research projects or who conduct independent research. Many Affiliate Scientists are located in California, but others are located at institutions throughout the world.
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Q. Can I visit the CNPRC monkeys?
Public access to the CNPRC's animal housing areas is strictly controlled. Diseases carried by both humans and monkeys can be extremely dangerous and even fatal if contracted by the other species. All CNPRC employees are subject to annual health screenings to ensure they are not carriers of diseases that are a threat to the monkeys. In addition, the center's veterinarians, animal care staff, and scientific staff are trained in safety procedures to prevent the transmission of diseases.
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Q. What does SPF mean?
SPF means "specific pathogen free." SPF monkeys are free of specified infectious agents, including herpes B virus, type D retrovirus, simian immunodeficiency virus (the monkey form of HIV) and simian T-lymphotropic virus. Not only can these pathogens interfere with research results, monkeys carrying them pose risks to researchers and animal care staff. Certain types of AIDS research, in particular, require SPF animals. The CNPRC is striving to expand its SPF breeding colony.
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