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Part 3: What kinds of Experiments are Performed on Primates? Searches within the NIH CRISP database system reveal common areas of
experimentation that utilize primates. These areas of experimentation were
examined in macaque monkeys, the most commonly used species of primates.
The CRISP system lists a total of 1,070 projects that involve macaque
monkeys. CRISP searches reveal 29 experiments that study heart disease in
macaques, and 34 that study cancer. However, this same system contains 55
projects that study cocaine in macaques, 54 that study neurobiology, 34
that study alcohol. Another 20 projects study macaque sex and an
additional 55 examine reproduction in macaques. It appears that the NIH is
more interested in getting primates drunk or stoned and showing them a
good time, than in curing real diseases. The largest area of experimentation in macaque monkeys is neural
information processing which comprises188 grants or 17.5% of the total for
this species. Another substantial set of grants (110 or 10.3%) study
alcohol or addictive drugs in macaques. Macaque Monkey Project Categorization
Many of these experiments, by their very design (i.e. experiments that study psychological stress or neurobiology) potentially subject primates to unrelieved pain and/or distress. Facilities are required by law to report experiments that cause unrelieved pain or distress to the USDA, and explain why no anesthesia was used. Are these experiments being reported? One large laboratory that uses many primates in experimentation is the New England Primate Research Center which is affiliated with Harvard. During fiscal 2000 Harvard did not report any primates as being used in experiments which involved unrelieved pain or distress. An examination of the experiments conducted by researchers at the Primate Center reveal a large number of projects which may have subjected primates to unrelieved pain or distress. In fact, our calculations (based on the fiscal 2000 Primate Center Progress Report filed by Harvard with the NIH) reveal that as many as 605 primates may have experienced unrelieved pain/distress at the New England Primate Center, affiliated with Harvard. It is a violation of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) to perform such experiments without reporting them as potentially painful/stressful to the research subjects. SAEN has filed an official complaint with the USDA against Harvard to request an investigation. During fiscal 2000 the University of Wisconsin, Madison (UW -- home of the Wisconsin Primate Research Center) reported that no primates felt any pain or distress during experimentation. This stands in direct contradiction to the very psychological nature of many of the experiments performed at the Primate Center, which are purposely designed to cause stress in primates. Therefore, we believe that the UW has violated the AWA, and an official complaint has been filed with the USDA to investigate this situation as well. In our opinion, the United States Department of Agriculture should develop specific definitions of experimental procedures potentially causing pain or distress within primate experiments. These definitions should address issues such as social isolation, severe confinement (i.e. use of primate restraint chairs, head immobilization etc.), severe food/water limitations, use of electric shock, etc. Facilities should be required to report experiments of this type, as causing pain or distress, and should be subject to regulatory action for failure to do so. Please write to the Secretary of Agriculture demanding that she take action on this important issue. Ann M. Veneman, Secretary of Agriculture
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Vol. 2, No. 2 - Fall/Winter 2003 |
