leaving the laboratory. NIH plans to eliminate much of its research on chimpanzees.
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As expected, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced today that the agency plans to retire, but 50 of its search 360 chimpanzees and eliminate much of the research it supports on these animals.
NIH Director Francis Collins, who called the decision an important step, explained that "chimpanzees are our closest relatives" and "deserve special respect." Of new scientific advances "have helped replace experiments in the past on chimpanzees with other strategies, which now makes it possible to greatly reduce our support for research on these special animals."
The Humane Society of the United States, which supports the phasing out all invasive research on chimpanzees, welcomed the decision. "This is a historic and major turning point for chimpanzees in laboratories, some of which have been languishing in the housing concrete for over 50 years, "said President and CEO Wayne Pacelle the company in a statement.
today's decision follows an Institute of medicine (IOM) report December 2011 which found that most research on chimpanzees is unnecessary the report states that projects should be continued if they would advance public health. the work could not be done in humans or another animal model ; and chimpanzees were maintained in a suitable environment ethologically. Collins immediately accepted the recommendations, put a hold on new chimpanzee research grants, and asked a working group of the Council of tips for advice on how to implement the IOM recommendations.
The Working Group concluded in January 2013 that many NIH 30 projects involving research or support should end chimpanzee. This includes six of nine invasive biomedical research projects, leaving only three studies of immunology and infectious agents such as hepatitis C. Eight of the 13 genomic and behavioral projects that do not involve invasive studies were approved to continue. The report also recommended that NIH maintain a colony of up to 50 animals to meet the needs of future research. And agreed that research chimpanzees should be kept in appropriate conditions, for example in groups of at least seven animals in large outdoor areas with room to climb.
The agency has received more than 12,500 comments by the end of March on the 28 recommendations of the working group. Whoever NIH sets aside is that animals have at least 93 square meters of primary living space chimp. (Current guidelines require a minimum size of about 2 square meters cage.) "There is not enough data" support this recommendation, Collins said, and "obviously this has implications in terms of cost of keeping chimpanzees. "NIH plans to continue to examine the scientific evidence of how chimpanzees of much needed space.
in a teleconference with reporters today, leaders of NIH declined to identify the 22 research grants considered by the working group, but said that they began to warn the principal investigators how their projects will be affected. projects that do not meet the criteria of IOM " wind down in a way that preserves the research, "said Collins.
NIH officials said that 310 research chimps will move to the national shrine at Chimp Haven in Keithville, Louisiana, or other sanctuaries in the coming years. (About 100 have moved recently or are planned to be transferred later this year the Research Center New Iberia, Louisiana.) NIH is also working with Congress to raise a $ 30 million cap imposed in 00 spending on the national sanctuary that the agency will reach in the coming months.
NIH officials said they will probably support one colony of 50 animals for future research, but has not decided which animals to include and where it will be located. Following the recommendation of the working group, the NIH breed animals, but review this policy in 5 years.
Lisa Newbern, head of public affairs at the Research Center Yerkes National Primate in Atlanta, said his center has not yet learned the fate of his behavioral research project supported five NIH involving chimpanzees, some funded 2016. Although the center is worried that the new housing standards could cost tens of millions of dollars, the NIH decision to hold off on the requirement of 93 square meters "facilitates our concerns."
The Institute for Biomedical Research in Texas, which leads the biomedical research using chimpanzees, issued a statement saying is "disappointed in most of the answers" NIH has made the recommendations of the working group. The institute calls the 50-animal colony "a number chosen arbitrarily" will limit the pace of research on hepatitis, immunotherapies and diseases affecting chimpanzees in the wild.
Researchers will also have to comply with a new rule proposed by the Fish and Wildlife US Service (FWS) this month that changes the status of captive chimpanzees from "threatened" to "under way disappearance. "scientists will now need a permit to study chimpanzees, and if the research does not directly benefit the species, they must do something to improve his survival, for example, by making a donation to a fund chimpanzee conservation.
Kathy Hudson, NIH deputy director of science, education and politics, noted that the FWS rule is final for about a year. "We are very confident that we will be able to find an arrangement in which the important biomedical research under the new rules will be allowed, "she said.
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