Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What kind of research is conducted at the CNPRC?
Q. Why do CNPRC researchers use monkeys for their research?
Q. What types of primates are housed at the CNPRC?
Q. Why does the CNPRC primarily use rhesus monkeys?
Q. Where do the CNPRC monkeys come from?
Q. Where do the monkeys live?
Q. What do monkeys eat?
Q. What happens to the monkeys after they're involved in a research study?
Q. Are the monkeys in pain?
Q. Are the monkeys only available to UC Davis researchers?
Q. Can I visit the CNPRC monkeys?
Q. What does SPF mean?
Q. What kind of research is conducted at the CNPRC?
A. Research at the CNPRC is focused into four primary areas:
- Infectious disease and immunology
- Respiratory biology and disease
- Reproduction and development
- Behavior and neuroscience
AIDS research constitutes about 50 percent of the CNPRC's research and includes studies relating to pediatric AIDS, vaccine development and mechanisms of virus transmission. Other researchers study reproductive issues associated with conception and aging, and fetal therapies for congenital disorders.
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.
Finally, research is also focused on the study of the physiological and health effects of chronic stress, on gene therapy approaches to Alzheimer's disease, on autism, and on the cognitive changes resulting from normal aging.
Q. Why do CNPRC researchers use monkeys for their research?
A. Since biomedical research on a wide range of human diseases cannot be conducted on humans for ethical, moral and legal reasons, animals are invaluable for understanding disease processes and for testing new treatments and therapies. For studying many human diseases and conditions, there is no better model than 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 indispensable for studying issues related to contraception, fertility, pregnancy, endometriosis and menopausal changes.
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, transplantation and gene therapy. Nonhuman primate research is sometimes the only way to determine whether new treatments are safe and effective for people.
Q. What types of primates are housed at the CNPRC?
A. The majority of monkeys housed at the CNPRC - about 4200- are rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Rhesus monkeys are native to Pakistan, India, Nepal and parts of Afghanistan, China and Southeast Asia. The center has about 430 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 40 titi monkeys (Callicebus moloch), which are found in parts of South America.
Q. Why does the CNPRC primarily use rhesus monkeys?
A. Rhesus monkeys, one of the most common species used in biomedical research, share about 93 percent of their genes with humans. Rhesus monkeys offer many advantages because of their close similarity to humans. For example, lung development in monkeys closely parallels human lung development, allowing researchers to study asthma and the effects of secondhand tobacco smoke.
Q. Where do the CNPRC monkeys come from?
A. The vast majority of the monkeys are bred on site. However, the center acquires a small number of monkeys each year from other countries such as China and Indonesia .
Q. Where do the monkeys live?
A. About half of the center's approximately 4700 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 are paired with another monkey during the day. They are provided with chew toys, televisions and videos, colorful posters and stainless steel mirrors that enable them to see other monkeys in nearby cages.
Q. What do monkeys eat?
A. 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 a 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.
Q. What happens to the monkeys after they're involved in a research study?
A. 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 an experiment serves as the basis of comparison when assessing the effects of a treatment and members of a control group typically receive no treatment, a "usual" or "standard" treatment (against which a "new" treatment is compared), or a placebo. Animals serving as controls may be returned to the breeding colony or assigned to another experiment.
However, in many 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 and organs. This provides critical information directly relevant to humans. Information that animals will be humanely euthanized, and the method of euthanasia, is included in each project's animal care and use protocol, which is reviewed (and must be approved) by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) prior to the beginning of the studyQ. Are the monkeys in pain?
A. All research at the CNPRC 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 pain or discomfort be performed using appropriate pain-relieving drugs. This includes the use of anesthesia for surgical and other invasive procedures, the same as is done with humans. The laws and regulations stipulate that animals be euthanized during or after a procedure if they would otherwise endure chronic or severe pain.
CNPRC 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 examinations and dental care. When necessary, the animals receive the same anesthetics and analgesics that pets receive when treated in a veterinary clinic or humans receive in a hospital.
Research projects conducted at the CNPRC are reviewed by center administrative personnel, university committees, and government officials. Studies require prior approval by the UC Davis IACUC which ensures that the project also meets all federal laws and regulations governing animal care and use.
The CNPRC's Research Advisory Committee also reviews proposals simultaneously with the IACUC . The UC Davis campus, which includes CNPRC, 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 640 research institutions and other organizations that have earned AAALAC accreditation, demonstrating its commitment to responsible animal care and use.
Q. Are the monkeys only available to UC Davis researchers?
A. Although the CNPRC is located at UC Davis, the center is truly a national resource. The CNPRC has 21 Staff Scientists, all of whom hold joint appointments with various departments on campus and who collaborate with investigators from around the United States and the world. The center also hosts dozens of Collaborative Scientists who work with Staff Scientists on their research projects, and Affiliate Scientists who conduct independent research. Many collaborators and affiliates are located in California , but others are located at institutions throughout the world.
Q. Can I visit the CNPRC monkeys?
A. 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 as a part of the UC Davis Occupational Health Program 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.
Q. What does SPF mean?
A. 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 (along with other National Primate Research Centers) is striving to expand its SPF breeding colony, which currently numbers about 450 monkeys.
