Proposals for research undergo expert scientific review to evaluate the importance of the research question, the quality of the research approach and investigators, and the likelihood of the project’s success. Publicly-funded scientific research with animals receives rigorous review at many different levels. In addition to honoring their ethical obligation, scientists maintain the highest standards of animal care to ensure that research results are scientifically valid. Ensuring the welfare and humane treatment of animals used in ethically and scientifically sound research is a priority for the team of scientists, veterinarians, animal care personnel and university-based oversight committees. Research conducted with animals is highly regulated at the local, state and federal levels. Research toward developing ways to treat and prevent these and other ailments involves the use of animals before the treatments are used in humans, as required by the FDA. Many serious diseases still threaten our well-being: AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and infectious diseases (such as Zika virus, Dengue Fever and Chikungunya) to name a few. Monkeys are the only mammalian animal model with menstrual cycles and hormonal patterns comparable to humans, providing crucial insights into fertility, pregnancy and menopause. Similarities in the central motor pathways between monkeys and humans have led to the development of safe and effective interventions to slow the progress of Parkinson’s disease. Monkeys are susceptible to an immunodeficiency virus similar to HIV, making them ideal for the study of AIDS and potential vaccines and treatments. There are many examples of how research in nonhuman primates has extended our fundamental knowledge of how the human body functions in health and disease. Federal laws mandate that animal studies must be done prior to studies in humans, and thus, every new medicine for humans has gone through previous animal studies to ensure safety for human patients. Animal models allow researchers to study complex systems that cannot yet be reproduced in other ways. Medical advances of the past century, ranging from vaccines to organ transplants to cancer treatment, were made possible by animal research. The center has four major research areas: Brain, Mind and Behavior Infectious Diseases Reproductive Sciences and Regenerative Medicine and Respiratory Diseases. The center works with researchers at UC Davis and other institutions that conduct their studies in a nonhuman primate model. Research performed at the CNPRC provides necessary information before proceeding to clinical trials in humans, and has led to new drugs and therapies that benefit human health and quality of life. Collectively, the national primate research centers are a unique resource for investigators studying human health and disease, offering the opportunity to study potential cures, treatments, and preventive measures in nonhuman primate models that most closely resemble human responses. The California National Primate Research Center at UC Davis is one of seven primate research centers supported by the National Institutes of Health.
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