Oregon National Primate Research Center
Encyclopedia
The Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) is one of eight federally funded National Primate Research Center
s in the United States
and has been affiliated with Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) since 1998. The center is located on 350 acres (1.4 km²) of land west of Portland, Oregon
, in Hillsboro
. Originally known as the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center (ORPRC), it was the first of the original seven primate
centers established by the National Institutes of Health
(NIH). The research center is administered and funded by the National Center for Research Resources
, receiving $11 million in federal grants annually.
The center maintains a colony of 4,200 non-human primates (consisting of rhesus monkey
s, Japanese macaques
, vervet
s, baboon
s and cynomolgus macaque
s), cared for by 12 veterinarians and 100 full-time technicians. Living conditions at the facility are inspected bi-annually by the USDA in unannounced visits. Animal rights groups, such as In Defense of Animals
and PETA
, have stridently criticized what they characterize as cruel conditions there.
The primates are used in pure and applied biomedical research
into fertility control, early embryo development, obesity, brain development and degeneration, and newly emerging viruses, especially AIDS
-related agents. Research projects at the facility have produced some notable findings, such as the first successful cloning
of primate embryos and extraction of stem cells
, which was named the number one scientific achievement of 2007 by Time.
and opened in 1962. In 1970, the Oregon location became the first of the regional centers to build and use outdoor breeding facilities. By 1976 the campus housed 18 different species and 2,100 total animals while employing 225 people.
In 1988, the Center adds the Cooley Center for Cell and Molecular Biology to the campus
, followed by the Animal Services Building in 1992. OHSU takes over in 1998 when the center is merged into the university. In 2002, the Center is renamed from the Oregon Regional Primate Center to the current name after the NIH changes the designation of all the primate research centers.
. It has been accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International
since 1975. As required by the Animal Welfare Act, the center also maintains an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
; each IACUC must consist of at least one veterinarian with training in laboratory animal science and expertise in the species under consideration, at least one practicing research scientist, and at least one person not affiliated with the institution to represent community interests in proper care and use of animals.
Scientists at the Oregon National Primate Research Center have published several research projects which have a made significant impact on health sciences.
Cloning and embryonic stem cells
In 2007, ONPRC scientists were the first to utilize cloning
to reproduce primate embryos, and then extract embryonic stem cells — a procedure only previously performed in rodents, and which garnered expectations of being reproduced in humans. This breakthrough was named the number one scientific achievement of the year by Time magazine.
Multiple sclerosis
Researchers have identified factors that prevent the repair of brain damage caused by multiple sclerosis
, complications of premature birth, and other diseases; as well as a key gene that impacts the timing of puberty and can shorten the time span for reproduction.
AIDS
Recent publications have suggested that a component of the immune system
damaged by AIDS
might be replaceable, and have indicated a way to detect intra-amniotic infections in non-human primates, which may result in the development of a test for infections that cause premature birth in humans.
Obesity
Findings in the area of obesity research include the role of the hormone leptin
in causing/preventing obesity, how leptin resistance occurs and can be reversed, how a high-fat diet during pregnancy affects the foetus, how the natural hormone PYY can cause limited weight loss, and how reduced caloric intake may slow aging and weakening of the immune system.
groups have conducted two undercover investigations into living conditions for the primates at the center. In 2000, Matt Rossell, an animal rights
activist, posed as a laboratory technician, then released video footage taken from inside the center. He accused the facility of violating federal laws and ignoring signs of distress among the rhesus monkeys housed there. Jane Goodall
, the primatologist, described the video as showing:
The center described the allegations as "a combination of misinformation and misleading images." After an investigation, the USDA
cleared the ONPRC of any wrongdoing, saying "the charges were a combination of misinformation and misleading images."
Goodall insists that the images could not have been faked, and that the monkeys were being "tortured." She told Matt Rossell: "There's absolutely no question that when non-human primates are put into the tiny, barren, sterile cages that are typical of almost all medical research facilities - such as those at the Oregon Regional Primate Center - they suffer most terribly. They suffer from boredom. They suffer terribly from being kept in isolation from others of their kind because monkeys and apes are extremely social, and they suffer from depression. The same kind of clinical symptoms that a depressed human child shows are seen in many instances in monkeys and chimpanzees kept in these inhumane and shocking conditions ... When I first saw the video, I was shocked, I was horrified, and I was very, very angry."
A second, four-month, undercover investigation was conducted in 2007 by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
(PETA). Ingrid Newkirk
, PETA's president, said the footage showed the primates living in "miserable conditions." A spokesman for the center said the behavior of the monkeys seen in the footage was attributable to the investigator creating an "unfamiliar environment" for them.
National Primate Research Center
National Primate Research Centers are a network of eight research programs in the United States funded by the National Institutes of Health to conduct biomedical research on primates...
s in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and has been affiliated with Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) since 1998. The center is located on 350 acres (1.4 km²) of land west of Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, in Hillsboro
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
. Originally known as the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center (ORPRC), it was the first of the original seven 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...
centers established by 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). The research center is administered and funded 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:...
, receiving $11 million in federal grants annually.
The center maintains a colony of 4,200 non-human primates (consisting of rhesus monkey
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, Japanese macaques
Japanese Macaque
The Japanese macaque , historically known as saru , but now known as Nihonzaru to distinguish it from other primates, is a terrestrial Old World monkey species native to Japan....
, vervet
Vervet Monkey
The vervet monkey , or simply vervet, is an Old World monkey of the family Cercopithecidae native to Africa. The term "vervet" is also used to refer to all the members of the genus Chlorocebus....
s, baboon
Baboon
Baboons are African and Arabian Old World monkeys belonging to the genus Papio, part of the subfamily Cercopithecinae. There are five species, which are some of the largest non-hominoid members of the primate order; only the mandrill and the drill are larger...
s and cynomolgus macaque
Crab-eating Macaque
The Crab-eating macaque is a cercopithecine primate native to Southeast Asia. It is also called the "long-tailed macaque", and is referred to as the "cynomolgus monkey" in laboratories.-Etymology:...
s), cared for by 12 veterinarians and 100 full-time technicians. Living conditions at the facility are inspected bi-annually by the USDA in unannounced visits. Animal rights groups, such as In Defense of Animals
In Defense of Animals
In Defense of Animals is an animal rights organization founded in 1983 in San Rafael, California, USA. It has 60,000 members and an annual budget of $650,000. The group's slogan is "working to protect the rights, welfare, and habitats of animals"....
and PETA
Peta
Peta can refer to:* peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 1015* Peta, Greece, a town in Greece* Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism* Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model* Peta Todd, English glamour model...
, have stridently criticized what they characterize as cruel conditions there.
The primates are used in pure and applied biomedical research
Biomedical research
Biomedical research , in general simply known as medical research, is the basic research, applied research, or translational research conducted to aid and support the body of knowledge in the field of medicine...
into fertility control, early embryo development, obesity, brain development and degeneration, and newly emerging viruses, especially AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
-related agents. Research projects at the facility have produced some notable findings, such as the first successful cloning
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
of primate embryos and extraction of stem cells
Embryonic stem cell
Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst, an early-stage embryo. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4–5 days post fertilization, at which time they consist of 50–150 cells...
, which was named the number one scientific achievement of 2007 by Time.
History
Construction of the facility began in 1961 after a $1.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. It was built on 240 acre (0.9712464 km²) in Washington CountyWashington County, Oregon
- Major highways :* Interstate 5* Interstate 205* U.S. Route 26* Oregon Route 6* Oregon Route 8* Oregon Route 10* Oregon Route 47* Oregon Route 99W* Oregon Route 210* Oregon Route 217* Oregon Route 219-Demographics:...
and opened in 1962. In 1970, the Oregon location became the first of the regional centers to build and use outdoor breeding facilities. By 1976 the campus housed 18 different species and 2,100 total animals while employing 225 people.
In 1988, the Center adds the Cooley Center for Cell and Molecular Biology to the campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
, followed by the Animal Services Building in 1992. OHSU takes over in 1998 when the center is merged into the university. In 2002, the Center is renamed from the Oregon Regional Primate Center to the current name after the NIH changes the designation of all the primate research centers.
Animal care oversight
The center receives unannounced bi-annual inspections by the United States Department of AgricultureUnited States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
. It has been accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International
Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International
The Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International, or AAALAC, is a private, nonprofit organization that promotes the humane treatment of animals in science through voluntary accreditation and assessment programs. The program started in 1965, when leading...
since 1975. As required by the Animal Welfare Act, the center also maintains an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees are of central importance to the application of laws to animal research in the United States. Most research involving laboratory animals is funded by the United States National Institutes of Health or other federal agencies...
; each IACUC must consist of at least one veterinarian with training in laboratory animal science and expertise in the species under consideration, at least one practicing research scientist, and at least one person not affiliated with the institution to represent community interests in proper care and use of animals.
Research
Cloning and embryonic stem cells
In 2007, ONPRC scientists were the first to utilize cloning
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
to reproduce primate embryos, and then extract embryonic stem cells — a procedure only previously performed in rodents, and which garnered expectations of being reproduced in humans. This breakthrough was named the number one scientific achievement of the year by Time magazine.
Multiple sclerosis
Researchers have identified factors that prevent the repair of brain damage caused by multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
, complications of premature birth, and other diseases; as well as a key gene that impacts the timing of puberty and can shorten the time span for reproduction.
AIDS
Recent publications have suggested that a component of the immune system
Immune system
An immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own...
damaged by AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
might be replaceable, and have indicated a way to detect intra-amniotic infections in non-human primates, which may result in the development of a test for infections that cause premature birth in humans.
Obesity
Findings in the area of obesity research include the role of the hormone leptin
Leptin
Leptin is a 16 kDa protein hormone that plays a key role in regulating energy intake and energy expenditure, including appetite and metabolism. It is one of the most important adipose derived hormones...
in causing/preventing obesity, how leptin resistance occurs and can be reversed, how a high-fat diet during pregnancy affects the foetus, how the natural hormone PYY can cause limited weight loss, and how reduced caloric intake may slow aging and weakening of the immune system.
Investigation by animal rights groups
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...
groups have conducted two undercover investigations into living conditions for the primates at the center. In 2000, Matt Rossell, an animal rights
Animal 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...
activist, posed as a laboratory technician, then released video footage taken from inside the center. He accused the facility of violating federal laws and ignoring signs of distress among the rhesus monkeys housed there. 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 primatologist, described the video as showing:
a baby monkey rolling up into a ball and sucking his penis, an infant monkey with [the disease] ShigellaShigellosisShigellosis, also known as bacillary dysentery or Marlow Syndrome, in its most severe manifestation, is a foodborne illness caused by infection by bacteria of the genus Shigella. Shigellosis rarely occurs in animals other than humans and other primates like monkeys and chimpanzees...
crawling about in his own filth, an adult rhesus who was so crazy that he had bitten his arms, bitten off almost all the flesh, an individual capuchin who had been used in drug research sitting with staring eyes, clearly in the last stages of depression, a monkey strapped down and submitted to a horribly painful electro ejaculation process with electrodes strapped on his penis, just to get a semen sample ...
The center described the allegations as "a combination of misinformation and misleading images." After an investigation, the USDA
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
cleared the ONPRC of any wrongdoing, saying "the charges were a combination of misinformation and misleading images."
Goodall insists that the images could not have been faked, and that the monkeys were being "tortured." She told Matt Rossell: "There's absolutely no question that when non-human primates are put into the tiny, barren, sterile cages that are typical of almost all medical research facilities - such as those at the Oregon Regional Primate Center - they suffer most terribly. They suffer from boredom. They suffer terribly from being kept in isolation from others of their kind because monkeys and apes are extremely social, and they suffer from depression. The same kind of clinical symptoms that a depressed human child shows are seen in many instances in monkeys and chimpanzees kept in these inhumane and shocking conditions ... When I first saw the video, I was shocked, I was horrified, and I was very, very angry."
A second, four-month, undercover investigation was conducted in 2007 by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. A non-profit corporation with 300 employees and two million members and supporters, it claims to be the largest animal rights...
(PETA). Ingrid Newkirk
Ingrid Newkirk
Ingrid Newkirk is a British-born animal rights activist and president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals , the world's largest animal rights organization...
, PETA's president, said the footage showed the primates living in "miserable conditions." A spokesman for the center said the behavior of the monkeys seen in the footage was attributable to the investigator creating an "unfamiliar environment" for them.