California National Primate Research Center
Encyclopedia
The California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC) is a United States
federal government funded biomedical research facility, dedicated to improving human and animal health
, and located on the University of California, Davis
, campus. The CNPRC is part of a network of eight national primate research centers developed to breed, house, care for and study primate
s for medical and behavioral research. Opened in 1962, research at this secure facility has investigated many disease
s, ranging from asthma
and Alzheimer's disease
to AIDS
and other infectious diseases, and has also produced discoveries about autism
. CNPRC currently houses about 4,700 monkey
s, the majority of which are rhesus macaque
s, with small populations of cynomolgus monkeys and South America
n titi monkeys. The Center, located on 300 acres (1.2 km²) on the western edge of the UC Davis campus, is sponsored by the National Center for Research Resources
, a division of the National Institutes of Health
(NIH).
activists. About half of the center's primate
s live outdoors, and the other half in small cages, a fact described as inhumane by animal rights activists. In many cases, animals involved in research must be 'humanely' euthanized
to allow analysis of the pathologies
of diseases or treatments on tissues and organs.
Jane Goodall
, the noted field research
primatologist, has decried treatment and use of small, barren cages at such research facilities, contending primates suffer terribly from being kept in isolation from others of their kind.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
federal government funded biomedical research facility, dedicated to improving human and animal health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
, and located on the University of California, Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
, campus. The CNPRC is part of a network of eight national primate research centers developed to breed, house, care for and study primate
Primate
A primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...
s for medical and behavioral research. Opened in 1962, research at this secure facility has investigated many disease
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
s, ranging from asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
and Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
to AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
and other infectious diseases, and has also produced discoveries about autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
. CNPRC currently houses about 4,700 monkey
Monkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
s, the majority of which are rhesus macaque
Rhesus Macaque
The Rhesus macaque , also called the Rhesus monkey, is one of the best-known species of Old World monkeys. It is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and its tolerance of a broad range of habitats...
s, with small populations of cynomolgus monkeys and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n titi monkeys. The Center, located on 300 acres (1.2 km²) on the western edge of the UC Davis campus, is sponsored by the National Center for Research Resources
National Center for Research Resources
The National Center for Research Resources or NCRR, is a United States government agency. NCRR provides funding to laboratory scientists and researchers for facilities and tools in the goal of curing and treating diseases.-Organization and history:...
, a division of the National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
(NIH).
Care and treatment issues
The Davis center attracts researchers and scientists from fifteen other states and attention from animal rightsAnimal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
activists. About half of the center's primate
Primate
A primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...
s live outdoors, and the other half in small cages, a fact described as inhumane by animal rights activists. In many cases, animals involved in research must be 'humanely' euthanized
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
to allow analysis of the pathologies
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
of diseases or treatments on tissues and organs.
Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall
Dame Jane Morris Goodall, DBE , is a British primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace. Considered to be the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best known for her 45-year study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National...
, the noted field research
Field research
Field research is the collection of raw data in natural settings. It helps to reveal the habits and habitats of various organisms present in their natural surroundings...
primatologist, has decried treatment and use of small, barren cages at such research facilities, contending primates suffer terribly from being kept in isolation from others of their kind.
Incidents and controversies
Controversy over the center's activities has led some detractors to refer to it as the "Monkey Farm."- In 2009 an outbreak of a monkey-killing cold virus identified as an adenovirus infected both monkeys and humans, with the sickness killing about a third of the 65 monkeys there. Only four of the 23 sick monkeys survived the illness. At the same time, a researcher came down with a cold and fever lasting four weeks.
- On August 21, 2004, seven primatePrimateA primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...
s (non-human) died of heat exhaustion after a heater malfunctioned. The event occurred at an overflow facility for the primate center on the UC Davis campus. - In February 2002, a monkey crawled into a drain pipe and was killed by an impeller.
- The research center was the site of an outbreakOutbreakOutbreak is a term used in epidemiology to describe an occurrence of disease greater than would otherwise be expected at a particular time and place. It may affect a small and localized group or impact upon thousands of people across an entire continent. Two linked cases of a rare infectious...
in what is being considered the first known case of an adenovirusAdenoviridaeAdenoviruses are medium-sized , nonenveloped icosahedral viruses composed of a nucleocapsid and a double-stranded linear DNA genome...
jumping from monkeys to humans.
See also
- David AmaralDavid AmaralDavid G. Amaral, PhD, is a professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Davis, United States, and since 1998 has been the research director at the M.I.N.D. Institute, an affiliate of UC Davis, engaged in interdisciplinary research into the causes and treatment of autism and related...
- Henry McHenryHenry McHenryHenry Malcolm McHenry , PhD, is a professor of anthropology at the University of California, Davis, specializing in studies of human evolution, the origins of bipedality, and paleoanthropology....
- Southwest National Primate Research Center
- Yerkes National Primate Research CenterYerkes National Primate Research CenterThe Yerkes National Primate Research Center, originally established and located in Orange Park, Florida but was later relocated to Atlanta, Georgia at Emory University, is one of eight national primate research centers funded by the National Institutes of Health...
External links
- UCDavis.edu - 'California National Primate Research Center' (homepage)
- All-Creatures.org - 'Stop Animal Exploitation NOW! "Exposing the truth to wipe out animal experimentation"'
- DavisWiki.org - 'California National Primate Research Center', Davis Wiki
- NewsReview - 'The selling of the biolab: The vanishing monkey was just one missing link in the saga of the UC Davis biolab, whose hard-sell campaign is drawing accusations of deceit', Bill Forman, Sacramento News and ReviewSacramento News and ReviewSacramento News & Review is an alternative weekly newspaper in Sacramento, California. It is one of three papers published by Chico Community Publishing. Noted as the last place of employment of investigative journalist Gary Webb. Webb allegedly committed suicide while working for the...
(July 10, 2003) - SacBee.com - 'Old monkeys, new memory clues: Research on primate aging could aid humans', Carrie Peyton Dahlberg, Sacramento Bee (November 27, 2006)