European Primate Resources Network (EUPREN)

Initiative of Institutes Performing Research with Non-Human Primates in Europe

This documents is based on meetings in Brussels (Okt 1993), Göttingen (Nov 1993), Strasbourg (Dec 1993) and Amsterdam (March 1994) in collaboration with the Directorate General XII of the European Union.

1.       Introduction

For the forseeable future non-human primates will continue to play an important role in biological and biomedical research in Europe. These animal models are essential to study, in vivo, the mechanism of:

• Infectious diseases such as AIDS, hepatitis and malaria which are responsible for a high mortality rate in Africa, South America and parts of Asia. With the increased mobility of people, such diseases pose a global threat.
• Autoimmune, immune and neurological diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease. There has been an increase in the number of patients suffering from these diseases, due, in part, to a fast growing group of ageing people in developed countries.
• New therapeutics based on naturally occuring compounds such as lymphokines, new generations of vaccines and gene therapy products, the efficacy of which, for reasons of limited species reactivity can only be investigated in animals that are genetically closely related to humans. In addition, primates are also used as non-rodent species in safety and efficacy studies required by drug regulatory authorities in Europe and elsewhere.

  These areas of research as well as fundamental and applied brain, health and fertility research, lead to a total estimated annual requirement of more than 10,000 non-human primates. For ethical and scientific reasons it is generally recognized that wild-caught primates are inappropriate to use and it seems likely that the import of wild-caught animals will be banned by EU in the near future.

  To address the requirement to provide non-human primates for research, the primate centres in several European countries have established major facilities for the captive breeding and housing of non-human primates. These facilities are sometimes combined with experimental laboratories to facilitate primate-related research. The coordination of these studies has, to date, been organized at national level to avoid inappropriate duplication in non-human primate studies.

  Primate Centres and other primate-related research centres from France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom and the Netherlands have begun a collaborative programme to tackle some of the problems of primate research on a European basis. This collaboration has been given an official status by establishing a formal European Primate Resources Network (EUPREN), which has been supported by representatives from the national governments and EU.

  It is not the intention of EUPREN to promote research with primates but rather to optimise and refine such research. It is anticipated that the joint action of EUPREN will result in the following:

• Improvements in the efficiency and quality of breeding and housing of animals by the development of a concerted breeding strategy.
• Increases in the quality of animals used in research.
• Improvements in availability of information and standardization of experimental procedures.
• Facilitation of exchange of knowledge on primatology and primate related studies.
• Optimisation of species-appropriate welfare in experimental situations and the development of ethical solutions for retired animals.
• Influence on legislation concerning animal welfare issues and drug licensing.
• Cooperation with primate-related research institutions elsewhere, particularly in USA, Japan and countries of origin.
• Initiation of/involvement in wildlife programmes to conserve genetic heterogenity as a resource.
• Establishment of management of genetic resources by means of an integrated breeding plan and the use of reproductive technologies.

2.       Mission of EUPREN

The mission of EUPREN is to develop a network leading to the establishment of synergistic relationships within the European community, which will prove highly beneficial for the quality of primate-related research in Europe.

Three specific aims for concerted effort to achieve the mission have been identified. These are, to ensure the controlled and ethical use of primates, to secure availability of non-human primates of high quality for research and to establish an information network concerned with research on non-human primates.

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2.1     Controlled and ethical use of primates

Legislation and public demand require strict supervision of experiments involving non-human primates in order to minimize inefficient and stressful transportation and to exert better control on the quality of animals, facilities and experiments. Developing and introducing standardized European criteria and limiting the number of facilities where non-human primate studies are conducted would optimise stringent supervision.

Breeding and usage

The following aspects of breeding and usage will be addressed:

• The production of inventaries of breeding capacity in Europe which would be required in order to achieve an optimal balance between availability and need of primates for research.
• The standardisation of breeding techniques and conditions.
• Identification of the species/strains of primates likely to be required in biomedical research and coordination/delegation of breeding such animals among participating institutes.
• Consideration of issues such as optimal use, non-use and retirement of animals.
• Encouragement in the use of non-invasive procedures.

  Ethics

  In line with national and international legislation, an animal ethical committee within EUPREN can be formed to be responsible for the production of guidelines and input to legislative matters. The issues with which such a committee will deal include:

• formulation of joint approaches to international use and transportation of primates.
• formulation of joint approaches to address matters of animal welfare and ethics.
• development of a system to determine the number of experiments/procedures in which an animal may be used. Such a system would be dependent upon legal preconditions and would probably be based upon the stress/severity associated with individual experiments.
• development of alternative systems in order to reduce experimental burden on primates.

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2.2     Secure availability of non-human primates of high quality

EUPREN will facilitate the supply of high quality non-human primates for research in Europe.

The primate centres represented in EUPREN are estimated to be responsible forapproximately 90 % of the current breeding capacity in Europe. This capacity falls far short of the need for European based research with these animals. It is an important aim of the network to expand European breeding capacity to fulfil EU needs for, in the first instance, public research and, subsequently, applied research in the pharmaceutical industry. The initiative will lead to:

• production of standardized high quality animals essential for the present level of biological and, more specifically, biomedical research.
• improved documentation relating to the number of animals used.
• reduction of distress for animals associated with transport.
• conservation of endangered species
• expedition of prevention of the use of wild-caught animals.

  Facilities

  Housing conditions for non-human primates should be standardised wherever possible. The "IPS International Guidelines for the Acquisition, Care and Breeding of Nonhuman Primates" in the version of January 1993 must be accepted and implemented by all EUPREN participants.

  Studies should be conducted only in facilities which are appropriate for this type of biomedical research. The studies must be performed under the highest possible scientific standards, ideally under Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and in line with national legislative considerations. Development and coordination of integrated scientific programmes (fundamental, applied and contract research) within the EUPREN facilities, will promote the competent supervision of experimental procedures involving non-human primates by an independent body.

  Animals

  A significant number of non-human primate species used for biomedical research are endangered with extinction. For this reason, and because of the stress caused by capture and transportation, there is strong support within EUPREN for the sole use of captive bred animals in research. The quality of these animals will be based on health care programmes, possibly combined with genetic characterization. This will improve scientific quality of the experiment and reduce the number of required animals for biomedical research.Such a degree of quality would be impracticable in wild-caught animals which are often infected with pathogens, some of which may be harmful to man.

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2.3     Establishment of an information network

EUPREN should provide up-to-date knowledge in the field of biology of non-human primates, for example in the areas of immunology an disease states. One of the tasks of EUPREN will be monitor recent developments in these fields. Towards this objective, EUPREN will strive to enable researchers from universities and other research institutions to conduct their research in non-human primates at participating primate centres. This 'open hotel' function will be coordinated by EUPREN and the process will enable controlled experiments to be conducted using animals of high quality. The institutes which will serve as centres of excellence require a certain critical mass to maintain optimal supervision of the experiments by experienced scientists.

An international multidisciplinary advisory council, consisting of experts in particular areas of primate-related research as well as representatives of governmental bodies, will be instigated. Together with the members of EUPREN, this group will develop policies to deal with future developments.

Research collaboration within EUPREN members will be focussed on the following activities:

Materials

• sharing and jointly cataloging tissues, reagents and research tools.

  Communication

• information exchange on continuing research projects and primate models
• undertaking joint research projects.
• sharing control animals where possible.
• undertaking joint fundraising where appropriate.
• jointly aiming for less invasive, optimally designed primate experiments.
• jointly seeking alternative techniques.
• undertaking appropriate joint Public Relations (newsletters etc.)
• jointly addressing legislative issues.
• acting as an advisory body to member states and EU legal bodies and governments.

  Expertise

• sharing genetic information on animals.
• sharing and standardisation of enabling technologies.
• standardisation of experimental protocols, where appropriate.
• sharing expertise on breeding, veterinary services and applied scientific issues.
• joint training of personnel and provision of training to the scientific community.
• collaboration with research centres in third world countries.

3.   Methods to achieve the aims

The participants of EUPREN intend to:

• devise appropriate statutes to enable the network to operate.
• establish an international multidisciplinary advisory committee.
• establish databanks for animals, breeding, genetic information and enabling technologies (see references below).
• develop Public Relations strategies and modalities.
• establish training facilities.
• organise meetings, workshops and conferences.
• develop centralised breeding for certain species.
• develop appropriate and possibly centralised retirement facilities.
• establish official links with global primate related activities.
• establish new breeding facilities in Europe.
• establish a microbiological reference centre for infectious diseases.

  Requirements

  Considered individually, EUPREN members have insufficient critical mass to accomplish the tasks mentioned in this document and are convinced that only combined action will result in the synergistic relationships necessary to attain the objectives. There is therefore a requirement for EUPREN to become established as an identifiable entity in order to operate as an organization which can interact with governments, EU or other bodies.

Literature

• Etablierung eines europäischen Netzwerkes von Primatenzentren. September 1993. DPZ, Göttingen, Germany.
• Towards a European Primate Center Network. October 1993. Dr. M. Jonker, Dr. C.J. Lucas, W.M. Klapwijk, The Netherlands.
• Towards an European Primate Research Centre Network. October 1993. Dr. P.A.J. Tindemans, Drs. R. van den Akker, The Netherlands.
• Contribution for the meeting on "Coöperation between Primate Centers at EC level". October 1993. Dr. P. Costa, Italy.
• Informal Consultation on the formation of a European Primate Research Network. October 1993. Dr. B. Mons, Dr. A.E. Baert, European Community.
• 2nd informal consultation on the formation of a European Primate Research Network. November 1993. Dr. B. Mons, Dr. A.E. Baert, European Community.