Humane biomedical research for global health

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.

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. The number of monkeys that are used has been decreasing for years. In 2024, for example, BPRC conducted 134 animal studies.

Animal welfare is always our highest priority. We fully comply with all legal standards and regulations for animal research. Monkeys are social animals, so they live in groups and can play and interact with one another.

Our enclosures are specially designed to mimic natural conditions as closely as possible. They include both indoor and outdoor areas, climbing structures, and toys to keep them engaged. This is called enrichment: it allows the monkeys to express natural behaviors and helps prevent stress.

We also monitor their health and behavior closely. Veterinarians and caretakers observe the monkeys every day and ensure they are well cared for. In this way, we aim to carry out research responsibly—both for the animals and for the benefit of medical science.

Yes, for some diseases there are still no sufficiently reliable alternative research methods. Because the immune system and the brain of monkeys are very similar to those of humans, they are sometimes needed to conduct dependable research.

We actively work on developing alternatives. However, organoids, cell models and computer simulations cannot yet fully replicate complex processes such as the immune system or brain function. That is why monkeys are still needed in some cases—but only when no other research method is available.

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. Research at BPRC has led to important insights into diseases such as AIDS, arthritis and malaria. Recent breakthroughs include the development and refinement of models for malaria, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and tuberculosis. In addition, BPRC’s research into alternatives has revealed new possibilities for the replacement, refinement and reduction of animal experiments. Another crucial contribution of BPRC’s research is the early identification of potentially unsafe medicines and therapies.

Like everyone else, we want to reduce the use of animal experiments. That is why we have a dedicated research group that develops new scientific methods. We create alternative models that can replace animals, such as cell models, organoids and computer models. For every study, we first examine which non-animal methods we can use and in which situations monkeys are still truly necessary. In this way, we are working step by step toward fewer animal experiments in the future.

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. That is why we aim to better understand how these viruses and bacteria make the body ill and how the immune system responds. This knowledge helps in developing new and safer treatments.

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.

Everybody wants to reduce the number of studies involving animal testing. We do, too. For this reason, we are conducting a lot of research on alternative testing methods, based on the principles of reduction, refinement and replacement.
At BPRC, research geared towards the development of methods not involving animal testing has been assigned to a special independent research group. In addition, we promote and support the use of alternative methods in all our individual research units.