Understanding Animal Research

Are we any closer to finding the mystery animal behind the Covid-19 pandemic? The hunt for the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic has new leads, as a new study published last month identifies new potential hosts. The paper reveals the half a dozen animal species that could have served as intermediate hosts for SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, and passed the virus to people. Based on genetic sequences of samples collected at the time, these species were present at the end of 2019 at the likely epicentre of the pandemic, the Huanan market in Wuhan,China. Thanks to genetic sequencing of samples taken from the market stalls after the market closed in January 2020, scientists highlighted the co-presence of genetic material from SARS-CoV-2 and certain wild animals. Among the species identified were raccoon dogs and civets, two species already implicated in the emergence of SARS in 2002 and thought to have contributed to the passing of the SARS virus to humans. Read more in our latest article: https://lnkd.in/eXTec_FN #AnimalResearch #COVID19 #Virus #NewResearch

Did you know that Charles River Laboratories (CRL), which routinely has groups protesting against its animal work, spends £3.9million on developing animal replacements every single month? To put that in perspective, the Lush Prize for replacements in animal research – celebrated by prominent animal rights activists – is a mere £250,000 a year, a figure that Charles River’s latest funding round will exceed in just two days. The graph shows how much spending goes toward NATs and NAMS by organisations that also carry out animal research. In our new article, Chris Magee explains, "An end to animal research tomorrow would in one sense 'rescue' as many animals per year as will be eaten for lunch today (although, in reality, research animals are all bred for purpose so they wouldn’t be born at all) but it would be at the expense of a much larger cohort of animals that are protected by the results of scientific research. These include wild animals, farmed animals, pets, animals endangered by climate change or harmed by chemicals already in the environment and, yes, human beings. The wellbeing or survival of these other animals is not given enough weight by protesters to justify even a mild experiment on an animal in a lab." "The whole point of animal research is to use the smallest number of animals possible, as humanely as possible and in carefully controlled and regulated circumstances, to prevent greater human and animal suffering. Simply ignoring the other side of the equation, or pretending there are viable alternatives, isn’t kindness: it’s negligence," Magee shares. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eMVsTCZ6 #AnimalResearch #NAMs #NonAnimalMethods #DrugTesting

What are New Approach Methodologies (NAMs)? There's a great deal of confusion over where we are with non-animal technologies, what the terms mean and who the main investors are. UAR has created a factsheet and the key takeaways are explained here. ‘New approach methodologies’, often abbreviated to NAMs, are methods for testing the safety of new medicines, chemicals or medical treatments that completely or partially replace the use of animals. Can they completely replace the use of animals in research? Learn about NAMs, our stance on them, why safety testing is important for new medicines, the benefits and limitations of NAMs, and more in our new article: https://ow.ly/QcMB50TWmHi #AnimalResearch #Medicine #AnimalTesting #NewApproachMethodologies #Organoids #NewTechnology

Calling early career researchers and science communicators involved in animal research to apply for the Animal Research Tomorrow awards this year! Last year's winning projects can be found here: https://lnkd.in/ezEzHRKd

Our BARN Digest news feed is updated daily with news on animal research across the UK, including from UAR signatories and major news outlets. Check it out on our website at https://lnkd.in/ekibCzdj #NewResearch #LifeSciences #AnimalResearch

🎉 Celebrating a Fantastic Day at CRUK Cambridge Institute BRU! 🎉 Today, we welcomed over 50 friends and family members into our facility, giving them a unique opportunity to learn about the incredible work we do here, including the vital role that laboratory animals play in advancing research. 🧬🔬 We were proud to showcase not only our cutting-edge science but also the exceptional standards of care and welfare we maintain for our animals, ensuring their well-being is a top priority. We hope our guests found the experience informative and insightful. A big thank you to our sponsors, everyone who attended and made the day so special. We’re already looking forward to the next event! 🙌 Tecniplast Datesand Anthony Iglesias Charles River Laboratories Vet-Tech Solutions Agenda Resource Management Ltd Institute of Animal Technology Andy Humes Emily Gilroy Claire O'Rourke Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute Mike Mitchell Understanding Animal Research

Researchers at the University of Oxford were awarded funding by Cancer Research UK to develop the first ever vaccine to prevent ovarian cancer. Animal research was key to advancing the development of this promising new vaccine, mostly mice. Studies using mouse tumor models demonstrated the vaccine's ability to increase levels of tumor-infiltrating T cells, which play a crucial role in recognising and attacking cancer cells. Additionally, scientists studied immune responses in animal models - often mice - to understand how to induce the body to produce more T-cells that are specifically tailored to recognise and kill ovarian cancer cells. The vaccine also involves research using the chimpanzee adenovirus vector (ChAdOx1), a technology similar to the one used in the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Researchers use these vectors in primates to confirm the safety and efficacy of these types of vaccines in eliciting a robust immune response before moving to human trials. If this research is successful, clinical trials will take place, and hopefully women can one day benefit from this vaccine. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eSGMx77w #AnimalResearch #VaccineDevelopment #OvarianCancer #NewResearch

After nearly 100 years of efforts, Egypt is officially free of malaria - a disease that has been present in the region since ancient times. “Malaria is as old as Egyptian civilization itself, but the disease that plagued pharaohs now belongs to its history and not its future,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), in an article published on WHO's website announcing the historic event. While newer technology will continue to reduce and replace the number of animals used in research, this current feat would have been impossible without animal research, and millions of lives will benefit because of it. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eNWJTnEA #Malaria #MalariaVaccine #AnimalResearch

The University of Hong Kong, a UAR Oceania member, recently created a virtual tour inside their animal facilities, including footage of their animal techs in action. The University of Hong Kong's Centre for Comparative Medicine Research is an internationally accredited research centre which has long been at the forefront of laboratory animal medicine in the Asia-Pacific region, being the largest and most advanced research animal facility in Hong Kong, China. This is a great step towards openness and transparency in how animals are used in research globally 👏 Check out the rest of their facility here: https://lnkd.in/e5zFJ5Mf and watch several others from leading UK universities here: https://lnkd.in/eim9-MzP #AnimalTechnicians #ResearchLab #ResearchTransparency #AnimalResearch

Don't miss our webinar this Thursday on openness and the culture of care. This webinar will discuss the interrelated concepts of welfare, care and openness. These three key “soft skills” of animal research are fundamental to effective communication, happier animals, happier staff and ultimately better science. The past two decades have seen huge developments in all three of these areas, but the ties that bind them together are not always considered. John Meredith (UAR) and Bella Lear (UAR Oceania) will look at why those ties exist, and some of the impacts experienced when one of these key skills is lacking in the workplace. They will consider how our knowledge of these areas has grown over time, as well as the role they are likely to play in future research. Register here: https://lnkd.in/eXHcMHvF