Future Plans for Primate Research in Korea National Primate Research Center (KNPRC)

Byung-Hwa Hyun
Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Korea

There was only one biological institute in Korea, which had been used for reproduction of non-human primates for toxicological tests until 1999.

Later, Korea Institute of Toxicology and a private company started toxicological tests with some cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). In 1999, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) started development of the basic and applied technology for breeding of non-human primates and mechanism studies. We introduced 11 cynomolgus monkeys and 21 common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) for primate research from Philippines and Japan. In 2003, 30 African green monkeys (Cercopithcus aethiops) were introduced from Tsukuba Primate Center, Japan.

Recently we have got many littermates. We are now focusing on the establishment of animal care-related experimental techniques, breeding and physiology data, SOP, microbiological monitoring systems and others for breeding of non-human primates, care and welfare. Collaboration of 3 research groups is establishing blood biochemical standard markers, induced Ediabetic models basically resulted from pathological and anatomic data with the 3 species of monkeys. The Korean government finally decided the construction of Korea National Primate Research Center (KNPRC) up to 2005 fiscal year. The fiscal budget will be about 7 million U.S. dollars.

We are planning to construct the facilities for breeding of non-human primates with experimental facilities at Ochang, Chungbuk, near Daejeon. We hope that KNPRC will be an excellent infrastructure for primate research and domestic/international collaboration in Korea. We will be able to support many fields; AIDS, gene therapy, brain research, artificial organs with non-human primates, facilities and techniques, and to develop primate models for human diseases. Many opinions and comments will be needed for these aims, function and what we should go straight. For this reason, I introduce the present situation and future perspective of KNPRC on this occasion.