Tsukuba Primate Research Center (TPRC) is the only facility in Japan that can perform research in all areas including breeding and utilization of cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). TPRC was established in 1978 as the Tsukuba branch of the National Institute of Health (current the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, NIID). The primary duty of TPRC was breeding, maintenance, and supply of high-quality cynomolgus monkeys for the national control tests of attenuated live vaccines and research on infectious diseases. In 2005, TPRC was separated from NIID and transferred to the National Institute of Biomedical Innovation (NIBIO). NIBIO was then integrated with the National Institute of Health and Nutrition in 2015 and reorganized as the National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN).
The activities of TPRC involve promotion of research and development of innovative drugs and therapeutics using cynomolgus monkeys, as well as development, management, and supply of the monkeys as research resources. The high-quality cynomolgus monkeys maintained and con- trolled in TPRC can greatly contribute to the evaluation of the effectiveness and toxicity of new drugs and medical technology and for pre-clinical trials. The non-human primate shared facilities of TPRC respond to collaborative researches in various fields of biomedical sciences or on infectious diseases between researchers in TPRC and third parties including private companies.
