Oregon National Primate Research Center
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| Motto | Better Health Through Scientific Discovery |
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| Established | 1962 |
| Research Type | biomedical on nonhuman primates |
| Director | M. Susan Smith |
| Staff | 230 |
| Location | Hillsboro, Oregon, USA |
| Campus | 350 acres (1.4 km²) |
| Operating Agency | Oregon Health & Science University |
| Website | onprc.ohsu.edu/ |
The Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) is one of eight federally funded National Primate Research Centers[1] in the United States and has been affiliated with Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) since 1998.[2] The center is located on 350 acres (1.4 km²) of land west of Portland, Oregon, in Hillsboro.[3] 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 funded and administered by the National Center for Research Resources.
The center came to public attention in 2000 when an animal rights activist posed as a laboratory technician to obtain undercover video footage from the center that allegedly showed animal abuse.[4] The USDA cleared the center of any wrongdoing, saying the allegations resulted from "a combination of misinformation and misleading images."[5]
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[edit] History
Construction of the facility began in 1961 after a $1.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.[6] It was built on 240 acres (0.97 km²) in Washington County and opened in 1962.[6] In 1970, the Oregon location became the first of the regional centers to build and use outdoor breeding facilities.[7] By 1976 the campus housed 18 different species and 2,100 total animals while employing 225 people.[6]
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.[7] 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.[7]
[edit] Facility
The Oregon National Primate Research Center maintains a monkey colony (consisting of rhesus monkeys, Japanese snow monkeys, vervets, baboons and cynomolgus macaques),[8] which, as of 2006, included over 3600 animals [9] used to conduct basic and applied biomedical research in fertility control, early embryo development, women's health, brain development and degeneration, and newly emerging viruses, especially AIDS-related agents.[10] The ONPRC receives $11 million in federal grants annually.[11]
[edit] Research
Scientists at the Oregon National Primate Research Center have published several notable research projects. Recent publications include:
- Research suggesting a component of the immune system damaged by AIDS can possibly be replaced[12]
- Research explaining how reduced caloric intake may slow aging and weakening of the immune system [13]
- Discovery of a method for detecting intra-amniotic infections in non-human primates. It is hoped by the researchers that the finding may result in the development of a test for common infections that cause premature birth in humans[14]
- Research that has identified factors that prevent the repair of brain damage caused by multiple sclerosis (MS), complications of premature birth, and other diseases and conditions [15]
- Several findings in the area of obesity research including the role of the hormone leptin in causing/preventing obesity and how leptin resistance occurs and can be reversed[16];and research into the natural hormone PYY which has the ability to cause limited weight loss[17]
- Research at the Oregon National Primate Research Center has shown that eating a high fat diet during pregnancy may have significant and numerous health impacts on an unborn child[18]
- Identification of a key gene that impacts the timing of puberty and can shorten the time span for reproduction[19]
[edit] Animal Care Oversight
The Oregon National Primate Research Center receives unannounced inspections by the United States Department of Agriculture [20] approximately twice a year. The research center has also been accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International [21] since 1975. As required by the Animal Welfare Act, the Oregon National Primate Research Center receives additional oversight from the 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.
[edit] Criticism
In 2000, Matt Rossell, an animal rights activist, posed as a laboratory technician, then released video footage taken from inside the Oregon National Primate Research Center. He accused the facility of violating federal laws and ignoring signs of distress among the rhesus monkeys housed there.[22] The video showed a monkey with its arms wrapped in duct tape to prevent the animal from mutilating itself as well as footage of an electroejaculation procedure, used to collect semen for reproductive experiments. After an investigation, the USDA cleared the ONPRC of any wrongdoing, saying "the charges were a combination of misinformation and misleading images."[23]
In an interview with Rossell, Jane Goodall, the primatologist, criticized the conditions of research facilities, including ONPRC. She said that she regarded the monkeys at the center as having been "tortured," and contends that primates suffer when kept in isolation.[24]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ National Primate Research Centers (webpage). National Institutes of Health (2006). Retrieved on 2006-12-04.
- ^ About ONPRC: History at a Glance (webpage). Oregon Health Sciences University (2006). Retrieved on 2006-12-04.
- ^ OHSU: News Release
- ^ Shock the Monkeys, Philip Dawdy, Willamette Week, January 3, 2001
- ^ USDA Finishes Report on Oregon Regional Primate Research Center, Concludes allegations are unfounded. OHSU News Release, January 12, 2001
- ^ a b c Primate site offers areas for research. Hillsboro Argus, October 19, 1976.
- ^ a b c About ONPRC: History at a Glance
- ^ Caring for our Animals:Our primates (webpage). Oregon Health Sciences University (2006). Retrieved on 2006-12-04.
- ^ Caring for our Animals (webpage). Oregon Health Sciences University (2006). Retrieved on 2006-12-04.
- ^ About ONPRC: Mission (webpage). Oregon Health Sciences University (2006). Retrieved on 2006-12-04.
- ^ Monkey Business, Julie Sabatier, Willamette Week, December 13, 2006
- ^ IL-15 induces CD4 effector memory T cell production and tissue emigration in nonhuman primates, J Clin Invest. 2006 Jun;116(6):1514-24
- ^ Delay of T cell senescence by caloric restriction in aged long-lived nonhuman primates, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Dec 19;103(51):19448-53
- ^ Diagnosis of intra-amniotic infection by proteomic profiling and identification of novel biomarkers, JAMA. 2004 Jul 28;292(4):462-9. Erratum in: JAMA. 2004 Nov;292(19):2340
- ^ Hyaluronan accumulates in demyelinated lesions and inhibits oligodendrocyte progenitor maturation, Nat Med. 2005 Sep;11(9):966-72
- ^ Trophic action of leptin on hypothalamic neurons that regulate feeding, Science. 2004 Apr 2;304 (5667):108-10
- ^ Gut hormone PYY3-36 physiologically inhibits food intake, Nature 418:650-654, 2002
- ^ Prenatal development of hypothalamic neuropeptide systems in the nonhuman primate, Neuroscience. 2006 Dec 28;143(4):975-86
- ^ Neuroendocrine mechanisms controlling female puberty: new approaches, new concepts, Int J Androl. 2006 Feb;29(1):256-63
- ^ United States Department of Agriculture
- ^ Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International
- ^ Shock the Monkeys, Philip Dawdy, Willamette Week, January 3, 2001
- ^ USDA Finishes Report on Oregon Regional Primate Research Center, Concludes allegations are unfounded. OHSU News Release, January 12, 2001
- ^ Interview with Jane Goodall
[edit] External links
- Oregon Health and Science University
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International
- Oregon National Primate Research Center is at coordinates Coordinates:
