Email This Story
Print This StoryResponse To Article On Primate Center And Stem Cell Solutions
By Rick Bogle
Primate Freedom ProjectFebruary 17, 2007Dear Mr. Heinen,I am writing in regard to the story in Madison Magazine (posted on Channel 3000 on Feb. 14, 2007) written by Vanessa de Bruijn titled Madison Research Center Seeks Stem Cell Solutions.Beside some clear factual errors, the article seems to be little more than bald propaganda.It is true of course that if all the promises made by the primate center were to come to fruition, we would be living in a world where every malady could be easily repaired and overcome. But such promises have always been made by this industry, and few, if any, have ever been realized.It should go without saying that if they were not making grandiose promises, it would be hard to justify the expense to the taxpayers and the suffering endured by the animals. Promises are easy to make but hard to keep.Ray Greek, MD, previously an anesthesiology instructor at the UW medical school has pointed out that: "Evolutionary biology predicts-and modern-day molecular biology confirms-that very small differences between species, on the genetic level, invalidate the historical notion that experiments on animals can lead to cures and treatments for human disease."Dr. Greek's organization's Web site provides a wealth of evidence supporting this observation and its ramifications.But Vanessa de Bruij's article provides readers nothing in the way of balance. Recent publications in the British Medical Journal that have looked carefully at the efficacy of animal models of human disease and drug response have concluded that the models are not predictive. Yet all we read from Ms. Bruij is ballyhoo. Your readers were misled.I mentioned that there were also a few factual errors. Ms. Bruij should have checked on the claims made by Ms. Lennon, the public relations specialist, and the director, Dr. Kemnitz.Parkinson's disease has been studied at the primate center since at least June 1992. The first study there of which I am aware was "PET Probes of Dopamine Neurons in Young and Aged Macaque" (Grant Number: 1R01AG010217). In 1993, Jon Wolff began his study at the primate center using macaques titled "Nonviral Gene Therapy for Parkinson's Disease."Researchers at the primate center have been claiming that their work holds promise for Parkinson's disease almost continuously since 1992.In 1983, the discovery that intravenous injections of the chemical MPTP kills certain brain cells in humans and macaques and induces Parkinson' s-like symptoms led to an explosion of so-called Parkinson's research using monkeys. This line of study has been fruitless in all but generating grant money.All of this is important because of the article's lines: "'The Parkinson's disease program was fairly recently put into place,' said Kemnitz, who described the realm of Parkinson's disease research as active and exciting."And, "According to Lenon, the WNPRC is 'poised to become the country's centralized resource for Parkinson's disease research using non-human primate models.'" It's just a lot more of the same rhetoric.It would have been easy for Ms. Bruij to learn that the group defending its legal claim on the property next door to the primate center is the Primate Freedom Project. I've never heard of "the local animal rights group Coalition for Animals."
Primate Freedom ProjectFebruary 17, 2007Dear Mr. Heinen,I am writing in regard to the story in Madison Magazine (posted on Channel 3000 on Feb. 14, 2007) written by Vanessa de Bruijn titled Madison Research Center Seeks Stem Cell Solutions.Beside some clear factual errors, the article seems to be little more than bald propaganda.It is true of course that if all the promises made by the primate center were to come to fruition, we would be living in a world where every malady could be easily repaired and overcome. But such promises have always been made by this industry, and few, if any, have ever been realized.It should go without saying that if they were not making grandiose promises, it would be hard to justify the expense to the taxpayers and the suffering endured by the animals. Promises are easy to make but hard to keep.Ray Greek, MD, previously an anesthesiology instructor at the UW medical school has pointed out that: "Evolutionary biology predicts-and modern-day molecular biology confirms-that very small differences between species, on the genetic level, invalidate the historical notion that experiments on animals can lead to cures and treatments for human disease."Dr. Greek's organization's Web site provides a wealth of evidence supporting this observation and its ramifications.But Vanessa de Bruij's article provides readers nothing in the way of balance. Recent publications in the British Medical Journal that have looked carefully at the efficacy of animal models of human disease and drug response have concluded that the models are not predictive. Yet all we read from Ms. Bruij is ballyhoo. Your readers were misled.I mentioned that there were also a few factual errors. Ms. Bruij should have checked on the claims made by Ms. Lennon, the public relations specialist, and the director, Dr. Kemnitz.Parkinson's disease has been studied at the primate center since at least June 1992. The first study there of which I am aware was "PET Probes of Dopamine Neurons in Young and Aged Macaque" (Grant Number: 1R01AG010217). In 1993, Jon Wolff began his study at the primate center using macaques titled "Nonviral Gene Therapy for Parkinson's Disease."Researchers at the primate center have been claiming that their work holds promise for Parkinson's disease almost continuously since 1992.In 1983, the discovery that intravenous injections of the chemical MPTP kills certain brain cells in humans and macaques and induces Parkinson' s-like symptoms led to an explosion of so-called Parkinson's research using monkeys. This line of study has been fruitless in all but generating grant money.All of this is important because of the article's lines: "'The Parkinson's disease program was fairly recently put into place,' said Kemnitz, who described the realm of Parkinson's disease research as active and exciting."And, "According to Lenon, the WNPRC is 'poised to become the country's centralized resource for Parkinson's disease research using non-human primate models.'" It's just a lot more of the same rhetoric.It would have been easy for Ms. Bruij to learn that the group defending its legal claim on the property next door to the primate center is the Primate Freedom Project. I've never heard of "the local animal rights group Coalition for Animals."
