We are in the Oxford animal laboratory. The researchers, led by neuroscientist Prof Matthew Rushworth, are exploring the way neural networks vary between human and monkey brains. “About two thirds of the work we do is with human volunteers but the important thing about the animals is they allow us to manipulate in very precise ways some of these circuits.”

What this means is that some of the monkeys have had small lesions—areas of damage - made in part of their frontal lobe. This is something that couldn’t be done with human volunteers. “This gives us key insights into how some of these areas are going wrong in psychological illnesses such as depression, but it can also apply to disorders like autism,” says Prof Rushworth.

But while humans and monkeys are both primates, the brains of macaques are far less well developed. “We found that many of the neural circuits involved in decision making were similar in humans and monkeys,” said Prof Rushworth. “But there were unique areas in the human brain, including one which allows us to put a value on the choices we don’t take—this enables us to make more sophisticated decisions than monkeys.”

The Oxford team, in common with other neuroscientists, believe primate research can give important insights into many human disorders. The University wants to publicise the research here but is wary of visitors, given the history of the building.

In 2004 construction had stopped after a campaign of intimidation by animal rights extremists. Work re-started more than year later when the government stepped in and took over the costs of security. Tough new laws and more rigourous policing led to a clampdown on extremists. Several activists were jailed.

Many feel, however, that the climate surrounding animal research today is less heated, and more positive than it has been for years.

Oxford University is one of more than 40 organisations involved in UK bioscience which agreed to develop a Concordat on openness on animal research. This went out for consultation two months ago. The aims include ensuring the public have accurate information about what research involves and the role it plays in scientific discovery.

The Wellcome Trust is one of the world’s biggest funders of medical research aimed at benefiting humans and animals. Its former Director, Sir Mark Walport is now the government’s Chief Scientific Advisor. He wants to encourage greater openness by researchers. “People are becoming more confident and more transparent about animal research and I think that is extremely important…..It is important to remember that every time you take pretty much any pharmaceutical agent you are benefitting from many years of studies on humans and on animals—and of course that research benefits animals as well.”

But Michelle Thew, from the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection, said animal experiments were archaic and inhumane. “We are simply getting very good at curing diseases in animals; we are not good at curing them in people. We should be investing more in alternatives such as cell culture and computer modelling.”

But despite efforts to find alternatives to animals, it seems certain that procedures on the mice, rats, fish, frogs, ferrets, guinea pigs and monkeys in Oxford will continue for many years to come.

(BBC)