Questions about the scientific research conducted by BPRC
BPRC conducts biomedical research in which primates are used as animal models that allow us to study serious diseases in humans.
Several primate species living all over the world are endangered. BPRC researchers are seeking to develop methods that will help us protect various primate species from extinction in an animal-friendly manner.
We conduct research into serious infectious diseases that continue to affect many people, such as COVID-19, malaria, AIDS, influenza, tuberculosis, and the West Nile virus. For many of these illnesses, no effective medication exists yet, or current vaccines do not work for everyone.
We also study age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. These conditions affect the brain and can profoundly change a person’s life. Because their causes are often complex and not yet well understood, reliable research models are essential. With our work, we strive to gain more insight into how these diseases develop and how we can slow them down—or perhaps even prevent them in the future.
We collect and store tissues and blood in our biobank and brain bank. This material is extremely valuable because it allows researchers to see exactly how diseases affect cells, blood, and brain tissue. It also helps in testing new medicines without the need for additional animal experiments.
Other scientists, both in the Netherlands and abroad, can request this material for their own medical research. In this way, our work contributes to many more projects than just our own studies, helping discoveries to be made more quickly.
BPRC has played an important role in the development of safe organ and bone marrow transplantation protocols. A COVID-19 vaccine and a Hepatitis B vaccine that are now used worldwide were also tested at BPRC.
We use fewer monkeys than many people think. A large part of the animals are part of our breeding colony and are not used in research.
As long as it is not known whether a medicine will work and is safe, it cannot be tested on humans. That’s why we first study how a compound works and what risks it may pose.
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