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Animal Research News: June and July 2022
EU-wide animal research statistics, 2019

EU-wide animal research statistics, 2019
A history of mice in scientific research

A history of mice in scientific research

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Animal Research News: June and July 2022
Animal Research News: June and July 2022
EU-wide animal research statistics, 2019
EU-wide animal research statistics, 2019
A history of mice in scientific research
A history of mice in scientific research
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2021
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2021
Ten organisations account for half of all animal research in Great Britain in 2021
Ten organisations account for half of all animal research in Great Britain in 2021
Animal Research News: May 2022
Animal Research News: May 2022
25 years after Dolly the sheep – cloning today
25 years after Dolly the sheep – cloning today
Huntington’s disease: 30 years after the discovery of the gene
Huntington’s disease: 30 years after the discovery of the gene
Leaders in Openness 2022 - 2025 Announced
Leaders in Openness 2022 - 2025 Announced
How do you study stress in mice?
How do you study stress in mice?
How to handle mice to minimise their distress
How to handle mice to minimise their distress
Using mice to understand the complexity of ovarian cancer
Using mice to understand the complexity of ovarian cancer
#MiceInResearch celebrating the 8th anniversary of the Concordat on Openness
#MiceInResearch celebrating the 8th anniversary of the Concordat on Openness
Animal Research News: April 2022
Animal Research News: April 2022
How to create a sector-leading website on animal research
How to create a sector-leading website on animal research
What’s the problem with a ‘scientific hearing’ on animal tests?
What’s the problem with a ‘scientific hearing’ on animal tests?
Parkinson’s disease: What are we looking for now?
Parkinson’s disease: What are we looking for now?
Animal Research News: March 2022
Animal Research News: March 2022
Talking to your colleagues about animal research
Talking to your colleagues about animal research
Learning to walk again: the history of spinal cord implants
Learning to walk again: the history of spinal cord implants
The gender gap in heart disease research
The gender gap in heart disease research
Animal Research News: February 2022
Animal Research News: February 2022
How are flu vaccines made?
How are flu vaccines made?
Is animal research ethical?
Is animal research ethical?
How women are paving the way for welfare in animal research
How women are paving the way for welfare in animal research
Animal Research News: January 2022
Animal Research News: January 2022
Pig to human heart transplants: how did we get here?
Pig to human heart transplants: how did we get here?
Vlogging about animal research
Vlogging about animal research
UAR’s animal research highlights of 2021
UAR’s animal research highlights of 2021
100 years of diabetes research
100 years of diabetes research
COVID-19 research must go on
COVID-19 research must go on
Openness Awards and Paget Lecture 2021
Openness Awards and Paget Lecture 2021
Sixty years on: the history of the thalidomide tragedy
Sixty years on: the history of the thalidomide tragedy
Introducing the 2021 Paget lecturer
Introducing the 2021 Paget lecturer
Ten times Dr Ray Greek misled Ricky Gervais about animal testing
Ten times Dr Ray Greek misled Ricky Gervais about animal testing
Zebrafish at the heart of regeneration therapy
Zebrafish at the heart of regeneration therapy
Do fish feel pain?
Do fish feel pain?
Fighting the world's most deadly animal: the mosquito
Fighting the world's most deadly animal: the mosquito
Procedures carried out on animals in Northern Ireland, 2020
Procedures carried out on animals in Northern Ireland, 2020
Zero carbon labs
Zero carbon labs
Antibodies factsheet
Antibodies factsheet
2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: Discovering how we feel heat and touch
2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: Discovering how we feel heat and touch
Depression and magic mushrooms: could synthetic psilocybin cure untreatable depression?
Depression and magic mushrooms: could synthetic psilocybin cure untreatable depression?
How is climate change affecting Antarctic animals?
How is climate change affecting Antarctic animals?
What is an AWERB and how does it help promote high standards of animal welfare in research?
What is an AWERB and how does it help promote high standards of animal welfare in research?
New Zealand launches an Openness Agreement on Animal Research and Teaching
New Zealand launches an Openness Agreement on Animal Research and Teaching
EU-wide animal research statistics, 2018
EU-wide animal research statistics, 2018
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2020
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2020
Ten organisations account for half of all animal research in Great Britain in 2020
Ten organisations account for half of all animal research in Great Britain in 2020
A new animal model for late-stage multiple sclerosis
A new animal model for late-stage multiple sclerosis
What exactly is a culture of care? And why is it important for animal welfare?
What exactly is a culture of care? And why is it important for animal welfare?
Can you give a brain organoid Alzheimer’s?
Can you give a brain organoid Alzheimer’s?
Leaders in Openness 2021 – 2024 Announced
Leaders in Openness 2021 – 2024 Announced
What does it mean to genetically modify an animal
What does it mean to genetically modify an animal
Researching new antidepressants with swimming mice
Researching new antidepressants with swimming mice
A history of vaccines
A history of vaccines
Animal research and malaria
Animal research and malaria
The COVID-19 vaccine for animals
The COVID-19 vaccine for animals
High public acceptance of animal research to find treatments for COVID-19
High public acceptance of animal research to find treatments for COVID-19
Do we need to test all new drugs in two species?
Do we need to test all new drugs in two species?
Could llama antibodies treat viruses like COVID-19?
Could llama antibodies treat viruses like COVID-19?
Why caring for laboratory animals is a rewarding career
Why caring for laboratory animals is a rewarding career
Endometriosis: a painful lack of research
Endometriosis: a painful lack of research
How effective is the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine?
How effective is the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine?
Cancer avatars: the future for personalised medicine?
Cancer avatars: the future for personalised medicine?
Top 10 COVID-19 vaccine myths
Top 10 COVID-19 vaccine myths
RNA vaccines: a new tool against COVID-19
RNA vaccines: a new tool against COVID-19
Antibiotic resistance: superbugs that kill
Antibiotic resistance: superbugs that kill
The secret lives of mice: using the public to research mouse behaviour
The secret lives of mice: using the public to research mouse behaviour
Biofluorescence: mammals that glow in the dark
Biofluorescence: mammals that glow in the dark
T'is the season to be ... a zombie deer?
T'is the season to be ... a zombie deer?
Leaders in Openness 2020 – 2023 Announced
Leaders in Openness 2020 – 2023 Announced
2020 Openness Awards
2020 Openness Awards
COVID-19: From your toilet to the sea, will your waste kill seals and whales?
COVID-19: From your toilet to the sea, will your waste kill seals and whales?
Why we must stop Covid-19 gaining a foothold in animals
Why we must stop Covid-19 gaining a foothold in animals
Study in mice shows that allergies can be passed on to offspring
Study in mice shows that allergies can be passed on to offspring
Covid-19 may affect sperm and future generations
Covid-19 may affect sperm and future generations
Procedures carried out on animals in Northern Ireland, 2019
Procedures carried out on animals in Northern Ireland, 2019
Why are scientists tickling rats?
Why are scientists tickling rats?
How virus tracking can help us prevent future pandemics
How virus tracking can help us prevent future pandemics
Animal research and COVID-19
Animal research and COVID-19
Factsheet on the forced swim test
Factsheet on the forced swim test
2020 Nobel Prize for Chemistry awarded for the development of a method for genome editing
2020 Nobel Prize for Chemistry awarded for the development of a method for genome editing
Free eLearning resource on 'blinding' in animal experiments
Free eLearning resource on 'blinding' in animal experiments

The concept of blinding as a strategy to remove bias from experimental results
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2019
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2019
Ten organisations account for half of all animal research in Great Britain in 2019
Ten organisations account for half of all animal research in Great Britain in 2019
The increase in zoonotic diseases: the WHO, the why and the when?
The increase in zoonotic diseases: the WHO, the why and the when?
How social isolation affects your body
How social isolation affects your body
The science of sniffs: disease smelling dogs
The science of sniffs: disease smelling dogs
COVID-19 research exposes activists' lack of evidence
COVID-19 research exposes activists' lack of evidence
Masks reduce COVID-19 transmission between hamsters
Masks reduce COVID-19 transmission between hamsters
Remdesivir trials effective against coronaviruses in animals and humans
Remdesivir trials effective against coronaviruses in animals and humans
Can we fight COVID-19 without animal testing?
Can we fight COVID-19 without animal testing?
Is COVID-19 isolation making your dog as anxious as you?
Is COVID-19 isolation making your dog as anxious as you?
Can your cat catch coronavirus?
Can your cat catch coronavirus?
Warning signs of the coronavirus: why we knew about it and couldn't stop it
Warning signs of the coronavirus: why we knew about it and couldn't stop it
Why we need more women in labs
Why we need more women in labs
What happened to wildlife after Chernobyl?
What happened to wildlife after Chernobyl?
The benefits and risks of neutering pets
The benefits and risks of neutering pets
I wail, you wail, we all wail for whale day
I wail, you wail, we all wail for whale day
Chair of UAR Council, Jeremy Pearson, awarded MBE
Chair of UAR Council, Jeremy Pearson, awarded MBE
EU-wide animal research statistics, 2017
EU-wide animal research statistics, 2017
Plastics are ruining the sex-lives of worms and could be affecting yours too
Plastics are ruining the sex-lives of worms and could be affecting yours too
To study the brain we need monkeys
To study the brain we need monkeys
2019 Openness Awards and Paget Lecture
2019 Openness Awards and Paget Lecture
Introducing the 2019 Paget Lecturer
Introducing the 2019 Paget Lecturer
Procedures carried out on animals in Northern Ireland, 2018
Procedures carried out on animals in Northern Ireland, 2018
Respiratory disease: asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Respiratory disease: asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Why do bats have such a bad reputation?
Why do bats have such a bad reputation?
Drug Discovery with Venom
Drug Discovery with Venom
Bony research: how zebrafish are helping osteoarthritis research
Bony research: how zebrafish are helping osteoarthritis research
2019 Nobel Prize: sensing and adapting to oxygen
2019 Nobel Prize: sensing and adapting to oxygen
Preventing Bad Law with UAR's Policy Work
Preventing Bad Law with UAR's Policy Work
Our Favourite Posts From the Last 10 Years
Our Favourite Posts From the Last 10 Years
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2018
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2018
Ten organisations account for half of all animal research in Great Britain in 2018
Ten organisations account for half of all animal research in Great Britain in 2018
Animals Help us understand Motor Neurone Disease
Animals Help us understand Motor Neurone Disease
How sickle cell protects against Malaria
How sickle cell protects against Malaria
Celebrities impact public view of animal research
Celebrities impact public view of animal research
Animals to humans, how blood saves lives
Animals to humans, how blood saves lives
Researching for a cure for multiple sclerosis
Researching for a cure for multiple sclerosis
Reddit AMA with Frances Wiseman
Reddit AMA with Frances Wiseman
Creating the European Animal Research Association
Creating the European Animal Research Association
Researching stroke using zebrafish
Researching stroke using zebrafish
Leaders in Openness 2019 - 2022 Announced
Leaders in Openness 2019 - 2022 Announced
How do you study stress in an animal?
How do you study stress in an animal?
Why vaccinate your pets?
Why vaccinate your pets?
Haemophilia, the royal disease
Haemophilia, the royal disease
Advances in 3R’s
Advances in 3R’s
Highlighting the role of vets in research
Highlighting the role of vets in research
10 years of rat research – how stroke studies have evolved
10 years of rat research – how stroke studies have evolved
Tuberculosis in Zebrafish
Tuberculosis in Zebrafish
Ricky Gervais doesn't understand animal research
Ricky Gervais doesn't understand animal research
Did animal tests delay penicillin by 10 years?
Did animal tests delay penicillin by 10 years?
Why we need female mice in drug trials
Why we need female mice in drug trials
Why we need female mice in drug trials
Why we need female mice in drug trials

Using mainly male mice in drug trials can be problem for women health.
Why do so many promising compounds never become drugs?
Why do so many promising compounds never become drugs?
Why do so many promising compounds never become drugs?
Why do so many promising compounds never become drugs?

Why do possible drugs fail to make it to the chemist?
A journey to the clean side
A journey to the clean side

How we made our 360 degree lab tours
A journey to the clean side
A journey to the clean side

How we made our 360 degree lab tours
Human diseases are threatening chimpanzees
Human diseases are threatening chimpanzees
Human diseases are threatening chimpanzees
Human diseases are threatening chimpanzees

A human common cold can be lethal to a chimp
The Nipah Virus – a rare but deadly disease
The Nipah Virus – a rare but deadly disease
The Nipah Virus – a rare but deadly disease
The Nipah Virus – a rare but deadly disease

Nipah virus kills people, at the moment outbreaks are rare
Ten years of research with mice
Ten years of research with mice

Some highlights from a decade of research with mice
Ten years of research with mice
Ten years of research with mice
International Day of Women and Girls in Science
International Day of Women and Girls in Science

Films of women in science
International Day of Women and Girls in Science
International Day of Women and Girls in Science
Timeline of cancer research and treatment
Timeline of cancer research and treatment
Recent advances in cancer research
Recent advances in cancer research

Immunotherapy, mice and treatment
Recent advances in cancer research
Recent advances in cancer research
Ten years of Understanding Animal Research
Ten years of Understanding Animal Research

In 2019 we are celebrating 10 years of UAR
Ten years of Understanding Animal Research
Ten years of Understanding Animal Research
UAR's new strategy
UAR's new strategy
Primate research in 2018
Primate research in 2018
Vote animal research scientist for new £50 note
Vote animal research scientist for new £50 note
2018 Openness Awards and Paget Lecture
2018 Openness Awards and Paget Lecture
Ten universities account for a third of all animal research in Great Britain in 2017
Ten universities account for a third of all animal research in Great Britain in 2017
Additional animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2017
Additional animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2017
Animal research in conversation
Animal research in conversation
Procedures carried out on animals in Northern Ireland, 2017
Procedures carried out on animals in Northern Ireland, 2017
Nobel Prize 2018
Nobel Prize 2018
BA faces legal challenge for refusing to fly lab animals
BA faces legal challenge for refusing to fly lab animals
In defence of animal testing
In defence of animal testing
Migrating small birds flying at 4000m
Migrating small birds flying at 4000m
Guide to writing non-technical summaries
Guide to writing non-technical summaries
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2017
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2017
Manchester University animal unit virtual tour
Manchester University animal unit virtual tour
Tracking killer T cells in pigs for flu vaccine development
Tracking killer T cells in pigs for flu vaccine development
Killer fungus comes from Korea
Killer fungus comes from Korea
3Rs prize for cardiac model
3Rs prize for cardiac model
Alzheimer’s Researchers win 2018 Brain Prize
Alzheimer’s Researchers win 2018 Brain Prize
UAR's response to the Draft Animal Welfare Bill inquiry
UAR's response to the Draft Animal Welfare Bill inquiry
Openness Awards and Paget Lecture 2017
Openness Awards and Paget Lecture 2017
Procedures carried out on animals in Northern Ireland, 2016
Procedures carried out on animals in Northern Ireland, 2016
Understanding Drug 'Prediction'
Understanding Drug 'Prediction'
Ten universities account for a third of all animal research in Great Britain in 2016
Ten universities account for a third of all animal research in Great Britain in 2016
No changes to EU Directive proposed in European Commission review
No changes to EU Directive proposed in European Commission review
Circadian rhythm science wins 2017 Nobel
Circadian rhythm science wins 2017 Nobel
Dr Mark Dallas Reddit Ask Me Anything
Dr Mark Dallas Reddit Ask Me Anything
Zebrafish host human cancers
Zebrafish host human cancers
Roger Lemon Reddit Ask Me Anything
Roger Lemon Reddit Ask Me Anything
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2016
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2016
Why the anti-vivisection movement took an absolutist view
Why the anti-vivisection movement took an absolutist view
UAR at Cambridge BRAINFest 2017
UAR at Cambridge BRAINFest 2017
Four animal laboratories open their digital doors to the public
Four animal laboratories open their digital doors to the public
Karen Mifsud Reddit Ask Me Anything
Karen Mifsud Reddit Ask Me Anything
World Parkinson’s Disease Day 2017
World Parkinson’s Disease Day 2017
Cambridge shows how animal studies are helping us understand OCD
Cambridge shows how animal studies are helping us understand OCD
Postcards from the post-fact front line: Pseudoscience and non-sequiturs as a rationale against research
Postcards from the post-fact front line: Pseudoscience and non-sequiturs as a rationale against research
Artificial 'embryos' created in the lab
Artificial 'embryos' created in the lab
Bird flu in China
Bird flu in China
Tilapia lake virus discovered
Tilapia lake virus discovered
Hearing restored in deaf mice using gene therapy
Hearing restored in deaf mice using gene therapy
'Tinder' for orangutans
'Tinder' for orangutans
Cats as intelligent as dogs?
Cats as intelligent as dogs?
60% of primates face extinction
60% of primates face extinction
Evolution of menopause
Evolution of menopause
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2015
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2015
Male biased mice studies
Male biased mice studies
Drug trail against Ebola
Drug trail against Ebola
20 years since Dolly the Cloned Sheep
20 years since Dolly the Cloned Sheep
Cancer resistance in naked mole-rats
Cancer resistance in naked mole-rats
How chickens store sperm
How chickens store sperm
Human-pig embryo for transplants
Human-pig embryo for transplants
Vaccine against cancer
Vaccine against cancer
Pig cornea transplant cures sight in 200 blind people
Pig cornea transplant cures sight in 200 blind people
New leaflets from UAR
New leaflets from UAR
Dogs catch infectious cancer while mating
Dogs catch infectious cancer while mating
Bd: Frog Plague
Bd: Frog Plague
Gene edited cows make no horns
Gene edited cows make no horns
Fat labradors give clues to obesity epidemic
Fat labradors give clues to obesity epidemic
Memory formation mapped in rats
Memory formation mapped in rats
Grubby mice help immune research
Grubby mice help immune research
21 Belgian research organisations unite in support of animal research
21 Belgian research organisations unite in support of animal research
Tiger numbers up
Tiger numbers up
British public misled over cosmetic tests
British public misled over cosmetic tests
Pig heart beats for two years in a baboon
Pig heart beats for two years in a baboon
Animal welfare at Oxford University
Animal welfare at Oxford University
Animal research at Imperial College
Animal research at Imperial College
British harbour seals fitted with smartphone technology
British harbour seals fitted with smartphone technology
Fungi help woodpeckers create new nest-holes
Fungi help woodpeckers create new nest-holes
Zika: monkeys, mice, and mosquitoes
Zika: monkeys, mice, and mosquitoes
Reversing cancer in frogs
Reversing cancer in frogs
Interview with Xavier Montagutelli, Pasteur Institute
Interview with Xavier Montagutelli, Pasteur Institute
Vision restored in rabbits following stem cell transplantation
Vision restored in rabbits following stem cell transplantation
Could this tarantula be a solution to chronic pain?
Could this tarantula be a solution to chronic pain?
Pro-Test 10-year Anniversary
Pro-Test 10-year Anniversary
Pro-Test 10 Year Anniversary
Pro-Test 10 Year Anniversary
3D-printed body parts
3D-printed body parts
The year of anniversaries
The year of anniversaries
Colin Blakemore Reddit Ask Me Anything
Colin Blakemore Reddit Ask Me Anything
Mice with bear bacteria got fatter
Mice with bear bacteria got fatter
Destroying worn out cells makes mice live longer
Destroying worn out cells makes mice live longer
Telling stories with numbers
Telling stories with numbers
Human ear grown on the back of a rat
Human ear grown on the back of a rat
Does the recent death in a clinical trial in France make us reconsider animal testing?
Does the recent death in a clinical trial in France make us reconsider animal testing?
Scientists create cow cartilage in the lab
Scientists create cow cartilage in the lab
Singing mice - monitoring ultrasound for animal welfare
Singing mice - monitoring ultrasound for animal welfare
Acute myeloid leukaemia genes identified
Acute myeloid leukaemia genes identified
Training monitor lizards not to eat toxic toads 
Training monitor lizards not to eat toxic toads 
This year in animal research - 2015
This year in animal research - 2015

A subjective review of the years animal research stories
This week in animal research 18/12/15
This week in animal research 18/12/15

Badger cull, sea-lion deaths, psoriasis treatment
Patient-derived xenografts in breast cancer research
Patient-derived xenografts in breast cancer research

The National Cancer Research Institute Conference discussed models for breast cancer research.
Dispelling myths around animal research
Dispelling myths around animal research
This week in animal research 11/12/15
This week in animal research 11/12/15
79th Paget Lecture and Second Annual Openness Awards 2015
79th Paget Lecture and Second Annual Openness Awards 2015
This week in animal research 4/12/15
This week in animal research 4/12/15
A picture painted by a thousand papers
A picture painted by a thousand papers
100,000 birds killed every year from lead shot poisoning
100,000 birds killed every year from lead shot poisoning

Lead poisoned birds, treatment for arthritis
'Without anaesthetic' - reading animal statistics
'Without anaesthetic' - reading animal statistics
When lab rats are released into the wild
When lab rats are released into the wild

The Laboratory Rat - A Natural History
This week in animal research 201115
This week in animal research 201115

Mainly conservation this week
This week in animal research 13/11/15
This week in animal research 13/11/15
Toxins in 3D printers
Toxins in 3D printers

Zebrafish showed 3D printer polymers are toxic
Rat study explains why so many alcohol drinkers are also smokers
Rat study explains why so many alcohol drinkers are also smokers

Scorpions, kangaroos and more
Can you see the bird?
Can you see the bird?
This week in animal research 30-10-15
This week in animal research 30-10-15
Suffragettes and other animals
Suffragettes and other animals

Surprising historical links between the suffragette movement and animal rights activism
Poo turns naked mole rats into better babysitters
Poo turns naked mole rats into better babysitters
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2014
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2014
This week in animal research 161015
This week in animal research 161015
Video of the week - NC3Rs Dog Husbandry
Video of the week - NC3Rs Dog Husbandry

Housing and husbandry of dogs
This week in animal research 09/10/15
This week in animal research 09/10/15

Elephants rarely get cancer
Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2015
Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2015

The 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been jointly won by Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich and Aziz Sancar for “mechanistic studies of DNA repair".

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2015
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2015

Won by William C Campbell, Satoshi Ōmura and Youyou Tu.
This week in animal research 02/10/15
This week in animal research 02/10/15
Concordat Annual Report 2015
Concordat Annual Report 2015

Good first year for the Concordat on Openness
Lab grown kidneys work in animals
Lab grown kidneys work in animals

Three cancers, two dementias and xenotransplants
Cosmetics are NOT tested on animals
Cosmetics are NOT tested on animals
More myths busted
More myths busted
More myths busted
More myths busted

The Safer Medicines campaign contains flawed arguments
Elephants born to stressed mothers age faster
Elephants born to stressed mothers age faster
Smallpox
Smallpox
French virtual lab tour
French virtual lab tour
Scorpion helps identify cancerous tissue
Scorpion helps identify cancerous tissue
Meningitis B vaccine available to newborns
Meningitis B vaccine available to newborns
Fish and newts regenerate limbs
Fish and newts regenerate limbs
Killer snails eat fish
Killer snails eat fish
Is FRAME abandoning the centre ground?
Is FRAME abandoning the centre ground?
Triggering bacterial defence
Triggering bacterial defence
How malaria raises cancer risk
How malaria raises cancer risk
Video of the week: Life in the Mariana Trench
Video of the week: Life in the Mariana Trench
Sheep gives birth to a mouflon
Sheep gives birth to a mouflon
How snails hunt fish
How snails hunt fish
New ebola vaccine works
New ebola vaccine works
Owls and hearing
Owls and hearing
History of the Pacemaker
History of the Pacemaker
Rett Syndrome symptoms reversed in mice
Rett Syndrome symptoms reversed in mice
Can your pet be allergic to humans ?
Can your pet be allergic to humans ?
Boa constrictors don’t suffocate, they stop blood flow
Boa constrictors don’t suffocate, they stop blood flow
The cure fallacy
The cure fallacy
Pacemakers: a short history
Pacemakers: a short history
Brain speed cells track movement
Brain speed cells track movement
New dog-breeding facilities will improve animal welfare
New dog-breeding facilities will improve animal welfare
Dog breeding facility gets the go-ahead
Dog breeding facility gets the go-ahead
In vitro: the remarkable rise of animal alternatives
In vitro: the remarkable rise of animal alternatives
Hormone slows down breast cancer growth in mice
Hormone slows down breast cancer growth in mice
Why Testing on Prisoners is a Bad Idea
Why Testing on Prisoners is a Bad Idea
What do rats dream about?
What do rats dream about?
Cystic fibrosis gene therapy works
Cystic fibrosis gene therapy works
GM pigs resist swine fever
GM pigs resist swine fever
Demented dog or senile cat ?
Demented dog or senile cat ?
Juvenile camels ‘key source’ of MERS
Juvenile camels ‘key source’ of MERS
Llama antibodies reach the parts others do not
Llama antibodies reach the parts others do not
Why Animals Are Needed in Research
Why Animals Are Needed in Research
Wild chimpanzees drinking fermented palm sap
Wild chimpanzees drinking fermented palm sap
Hedgehogs, going, going...
Hedgehogs, going, going...
The reason the European Citizens’ Initiative failed is the reason anti-research campaigns are failing generally
The reason the European Citizens’ Initiative failed is the reason anti-research campaigns are failing generally
Climbing perch have lungs and gills
Climbing perch have lungs and gills
Anti-research European Citizen’s Initiative fails
Anti-research European Citizen’s Initiative fails
Badgers; the cull or the research
Badgers; the cull or the research
Mice in space develop thin skin
Mice in space develop thin skin
Ten Tips for Debating Animal Research
Ten Tips for Debating Animal Research

Advice from our recent workshop
Octopuses can see with their skin
Octopuses can see with their skin
Vision restored in blind mice
Vision restored in blind mice
Link between Diabetes and Alzheimer's
Link between Diabetes and Alzheimer's
Penguins use guano to melt snow
Penguins use guano to melt snow
Captured on film: animal research at Cambridge and Imperial College
Captured on film: animal research at Cambridge and Imperial College
World Day for Animals in Laboratories
World Day for Animals in Laboratories
Ebola drug cures monkeys infected with the virus
Ebola drug cures monkeys infected with the virus
Nicotine use increases alcohol consumption in rats
Nicotine use increases alcohol consumption in rats
UKIP pledges to introduce existing regulatory system if elected
UKIP pledges to introduce existing regulatory system if elected
Green animal research policy – scientifically illiterate, unethical and doomed to fail
Green animal research policy – scientifically illiterate, unethical and doomed to fail
Animal research in the 2015 General Election
Animal research in the 2015 General Election
Sixty years of the polio 'miracle' vaccine
Sixty years of the polio 'miracle' vaccine
Gibbons can use more than 450 different calls
Gibbons can use more than 450 different calls
Video: mouse cage enrichment
Video: mouse cage enrichment
Vitamin D prevents diabetes and clogged arteries in mice
Vitamin D prevents diabetes and clogged arteries in mice
Working to reduce the use of animals in scientific research
Working to reduce the use of animals in scientific research
Green Hill judge ignores independent vets
Green Hill judge ignores independent vets
Evolution of the anus
Evolution of the anus
Did the government really ban animal tests for household cleaners?
Did the government really ban animal tests for household cleaners?
How chameleons change colour
How chameleons change colour
Mice use more of their fathers DNA than their mothers
Mice use more of their fathers DNA than their mothers
Male only medical trials can endanger females
Male only medical trials can endanger females
Protecting medical progress and lab animal welfare in Europe
Protecting medical progress and lab animal welfare in Europe
What about sewing the heads of monkeys onto other monkeys?
What about sewing the heads of monkeys onto other monkeys?
Llamas immune to HIV
Llamas immune to HIV
Mary Lyon: 20th century geneticist
Mary Lyon: 20th century geneticist
Limpet teeth strongest biological material
Limpet teeth strongest biological material
Let in the Lynx
Let in the Lynx
Gerbils more tolerant of plague than rats
Gerbils more tolerant of plague than rats
BBC TV: Can you cure my cancer?
BBC TV: Can you cure my cancer?
Cleaner fish
Cleaner fish

Ballan wrasse control salmon lice
This week in animal research: w/e 06 Feb 2015
This week in animal research: w/e 06 Feb 2015

Key news from the week
3-Person IVF and the monkeys that made it possible
3-Person IVF and the monkeys that made it possible

British MPs voted in favour of 3 person IVF
AstraZeneca plans for Cambridge HQ get go-ahead
AstraZeneca plans for Cambridge HQ get go-ahead
This week in animal research: w/e 30 January 15
This week in animal research: w/e 30 January 15
Videos of the week: MRC research with macaques
Videos of the week: MRC research with macaques
Animal research gives vaccines against cervical cancer
Animal research gives vaccines against cervical cancer
How mice have revolutionised what we know about memory
How mice have revolutionised what we know about memory
Armadillos roll out treatments for leprosy
Armadillos roll out treatments for leprosy
Blood transfusions from young to old mice regenerate stem cells
Blood transfusions from young to old mice regenerate stem cells
Stolen pets and pseudoscience: 20 years of campaigners misleading the public.
Stolen pets and pseudoscience: 20 years of campaigners misleading the public.
Testing badgers for TB better than culling
Testing badgers for TB better than culling
Wirelessly charged pacemaker tested in rabbits
Wirelessly charged pacemaker tested in rabbits
Animals get STI as well as humans
Animals get STI as well as humans
Ebola studied in guinea pigs
Ebola studied in guinea pigs
After UAR complaint ASA rules NAVS misleading public
After UAR complaint ASA rules NAVS misleading public
Rabbits, fish and mice, but no rock hyrax
Rabbits, fish and mice, but no rock hyrax
The importance of teaching about animal reseach in schools
The importance of teaching about animal reseach in schools
Switching off appetite in mice
Switching off appetite in mice
A breakthrough treatment for Ebola
A breakthrough treatment for Ebola
A CRISPR future for genetic modification
A CRISPR future for genetic modification
Why do scientists use zebrafish in research?
Why do scientists use zebrafish in research?
Vaccine for dust-mite allergies
Vaccine for dust-mite allergies
A closer look at the animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2013
A closer look at the animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2013
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2013
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2013
Declines in insectivorous birds associated with high neonicotinoid concentrations
Declines in insectivorous birds associated with high neonicotinoid concentrations
Animal research in the movies
Animal research in the movies
New cell creation which may cause 
New cell creation which may cause "infantile amnesia"
Ten years of success from the 3Rs
Ten years of success from the 3Rs
Should neonicotinoids be banned permanently?
Should neonicotinoids be banned permanently?
Monarch butterflies use magnetic compass to migrate
Monarch butterflies use magnetic compass to migrate
Kidney regeneration
Kidney regeneration
The Secrecy Law That Is Heading For the Scrapheap
The Secrecy Law That Is Heading For the Scrapheap
Porcine epidemic virus
Porcine epidemic virus
How refining animal research can lead to more experiments
How refining animal research can lead to more experiments
Scientist Colin Blakemore Knighted
Scientist Colin Blakemore Knighted
GM mosquitos used to reduce wild mosquito population
GM mosquitos used to reduce wild mosquito population
Look before you leap
Look before you leap
Charities communicating animal research
Charities communicating animal research
A Brave New World
A Brave New World
The A-Z(T) of anti-science
The A-Z(T) of anti-science
Openness is more than just a PR exercise
Openness is more than just a PR exercise
When did you last hear a cuckoo?
When did you last hear a cuckoo?
Venom: Turning Toxicity on its Head
Venom: Turning Toxicity on its Head
The Concordat is here!
The Concordat is here!
Concordat on Openness on Animal Research launched today
Concordat on Openness on Animal Research launched today
Why are we still waiting for a cure?
Why are we still waiting for a cure?
Why science doesn't work without curiosity
Why science doesn't work without curiosity
The FoI press-release approach to campaigning
The FoI press-release approach to campaigning
Standing up for Science
Standing up for Science
First gene therapy trial for deafness
First gene therapy trial for deafness
Brain tumour cells burst by potential new treatment
Brain tumour cells burst by potential new treatment
Transplant stories
Transplant stories
Openness in animal research news
Openness in animal research news
Activist Debbie Vincent guilty of conspiracy to blackmail
Activist Debbie Vincent guilty of conspiracy to blackmail
Open Labs
Open Labs
Vaccine could protect against cancer caused by organ transplants
Vaccine could protect against cancer caused by organ transplants
Mice use minimised by mini-liver break through
Mice use minimised by mini-liver break through
42 thousand red-listed turtles taken per year
42 thousand red-listed turtles taken per year
Animal research and Asian vulture conservation
Animal research and Asian vulture conservation
UAR complaint against Animal Aid upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority
UAR complaint against Animal Aid upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority
Government announces delivery plan for reduction of animals in research
Government announces delivery plan for reduction of animals in research
You want fish? Police your reserves
You want fish? Police your reserves
Herceptin - first monoclonal antibody treatment for cancer
Herceptin - first monoclonal antibody treatment for cancer
Bat populations rise
Bat populations rise

by Theodore Roethke
BBC films inside Oxford Animal Lab
BBC films inside Oxford Animal Lab
Two new films on Macaque research from the MRC
Two new films on Macaque research from the MRC
What makes us human?
What makes us human?
Poll shows more Italians accept animal research
Poll shows more Italians accept animal research
Science Action Network
Science Action Network
Otter project - monitoring pollution
Otter project - monitoring pollution
Avoiding turtle by-catch in the Mediterranean
Avoiding turtle by-catch in the Mediterranean
The Big Animal Research Debate: Day 4
The Big Animal Research Debate: Day 4
We need to stick with research through the ups and the downs
We need to stick with research through the ups and the downs
‘Turning point’ in Alzheimer’s treatment
‘Turning point’ in Alzheimer’s treatment
Rothman, Schekman and Südhof - 2013 Nobel Prize winners in Physiology or Medicine
Rothman, Schekman and Südhof - 2013 Nobel Prize winners in Physiology or Medicine
Rejection reduced by animal research
Rejection reduced by animal research
Nobel scientists experimenting on themselves
Nobel scientists experimenting on themselves
The Nobel Prize winners who experimented on themselves
The Nobel Prize winners who experimented on themselves
Brain cancer research suggests new treatments
Brain cancer research suggests new treatments
Pro-Test Italia demonstrate in Rome
Pro-Test Italia demonstrate in Rome
2013 Nobel Prize Predictions
2013 Nobel Prize Predictions
Down syndrome symptoms reduced in mice with single injection
Down syndrome symptoms reduced in mice with single injection
Lasker award given to neurotransmitter researchers
Lasker award given to neurotransmitter researchers
New EU guide to alternatives to animal testing
New EU guide to alternatives to animal testing
3,000 Italian Researchers say no to law limiting animal research
3,000 Italian Researchers say no to law limiting animal research
Fire salamanders wiped out by newly found fungus
Fire salamanders wiped out by newly found fungus
Basel declaration animal research awards
Basel declaration animal research awards
Free iBook: Primates in Medical Research now available
Free iBook: Primates in Medical Research now available
Neuron maps unveiled for mouse and fly
Neuron maps unveiled for mouse and fly
New treatment allows stronger radiotherapy
New treatment allows stronger radiotherapy
New mouse model for hepatitis C research
New mouse model for hepatitis C research
World Hepatitis Day
World Hepatitis Day
A new way to prevent transplant rejection
A new way to prevent transplant rejection
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2012
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2012
Third Basel Declaration Society Conference
Third Basel Declaration Society Conference
Understanding Animal Research’s 2013 AGM
Understanding Animal Research’s 2013 AGM
Jumping species: how good intentions spread diseases
Jumping species: how good intentions spread diseases
The eternal search for ever-lasting life
The eternal search for ever-lasting life
Hard on the outside, soft on the inside, and just the right temperature...
Hard on the outside, soft on the inside, and just the right temperature...
Inside the Dementia Lab
Inside the Dementia Lab
Symposium on the 3Rs
Symposium on the 3Rs
World Blood Donor Day
World Blood Donor Day
Pro-Test Italia demonstrate the value of animal research
Pro-Test Italia demonstrate the value of animal research

On Saturday 1st June 2013, Pro-Test Italia held a rally in support of the important role that animals play in biomedical research.
Pro-Test Italia march on Saturday
Pro-Test Italia march on Saturday

The Pro-Test Italia rally will culminate in the delivery of a petition signed by over 5000 people calling for solidarity with the researchers affected by the attack.
How to distort 0.004% of the statistics
How to distort 0.004% of the statistics

A new statistic is doing the rounds in the animal rights camps.
Dementia Awareness Week: 19 – 25 May
Dementia Awareness Week: 19 – 25 May

This year’s Dementia Awareness Week is themed around talking, with the message that “Worrying changes nothing.
Animal research news round up 10/05
Animal research news round up 10/05

The Daily Mail, in an earnest attempt to justify their drinking habits, reported that phenolic acid found in champagne dramatically improved the memory test performance of rats.
Brain Injury Week 13th - 19th May 2013
Brain Injury Week 13th - 19th May 2013

This year's Action for Brain Injury Week (ABI Week) will see the launch of a positive campaign aimed at GPs to assist them with diagnosing and appropriately signposting patients and carers affected by the often hidden aspects of brain injury.
New animal research briefing for Deaf Awareness Week
New animal research briefing for Deaf Awareness Week

UAR has produced a new briefing sheet on deafness and hearing loss as a contribution to Deaf Awareness Week (6th May - 12th May 2013).
Prize for technique that reduces number of animals in spinal injury research
Prize for technique that reduces number of animals in spinal injury research

A scientist from the University of Glasgow has been awarded a 3Rs Prize for developing a cell-based technique that models severed nerves usually studied in animals.
Newly identified naturally occurring hormone could treat diabetes
Newly identified naturally occurring hormone could treat diabetes

Experiments in mice have identified a hormone that could stop and even reverse the onset of diabetes.
Animal research news round up 03/05
Animal research news round up 03/05

The possibility of eternal youth is guaranteed to get coverage and all the broadsheets covered this Nature story this week.
Pint of Science
Pint of Science

World-leading scientists will be sharing their knowledge and latest discoveries in pubs across London, Oxford and Cambridge from Tuesday 14th - Thursday 16th May.
Novo Nordisk wins Corporate Responsibility award
Novo Nordisk wins Corporate Responsibility award

The annual Corporate Responsibility Reporting Awards were handed out at the Royal Society earlier this week.
Scientists ask for solidarity
Scientists ask for solidarity

A recent break in at the University of Milan by animal rights extremists has put the university’s research into psychiatric disorders back several years.
World Malaria Day
World Malaria Day

This World Malaria Day, April 25th, we need to remember the global significance of this life-threatening disease.
Animal research news round up 26/04
Animal research news round up 26/04

Hilary Koprowski, the scientist who developed the first live-virus polio vaccine, has died at the age of 96.
Two thirds of the British public are unaware animal cosmetic testing is illegal in UK
Two thirds of the British public are unaware animal cosmetic testing is illegal in UK

Almost two thirds of British people (63%) do not know that is it illegal to test finished cosmetic products on animals in the UK, according to a recent ComRes survey.
Animal research is leading a revolution in organ transplants, again
Animal research is leading a revolution in organ transplants, again

Around the turn of the 20th Century, two surgeons named Emerich Ullman and Alexis Carrel placed the kidney of goat into a dog.
Animal rights extremists wreck Milan laboratory
Animal rights extremists wreck Milan laboratory

An animal facility at the University of Milan, Italy, was occupied on Saturday 20 April by Fermare Green Hill.
Animal research news round up
Animal research news round up

We have several stories which very clearly illustrate the potential medical benefits of research this week.
News round up
News round up

Robert Edwards, the Nobel Prize winning developer of in vitro fertilisation, has died at the age of 87.
We have a lot of things to thank animals for; space travel and cloning are just two of them
We have a lot of things to thank animals for; space travel and cloning are just two of them

Dolly is probably the most famous animal ever to take part in a scientific experiment.
Broken memories
Broken memories

Researchers studying mice have discovered that brain cells may break their own DNA to form new memories.
New malaria medicine developed in mice
New malaria medicine developed in mice

An experimental compound has proved highly effective at preventing malaria in laboratory tests using mice.
UAR at The Big Bang Fair 2013
UAR at The Big Bang Fair 2013

The UAR Education Team had a fantastic time at The Big Bang Fair at ExCel in London which ran from the 14th -17th March this year.
What Difference Does Animal Research Make
What Difference Does Animal Research Make
New foot-and-mouth vaccine
New foot-and-mouth vaccine

Foot-and-mouth disease (Aphthae epizooticae) is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovids such as cattle and sheep.
Gene therapy targets 'cancer gene'
Gene therapy targets 'cancer gene'

Gene therapy using a mutant form of a gene known to be involved in many of the most common cancers can destroy tumours in mice without any major side effects.
Mice experiments help scientists improve cancer vaccines
Mice experiments help scientists improve cancer vaccines

An additive used in anti-cancer vaccines is stopping them working properly, research in mice suggests.
Achilles’ heel identified for rare cancer
Achilles’ heel identified for rare cancer

Research using genetically modified mice has given scientists a unique insight into the molecular cause of an incurable human cancer.
UAR sets up a new website: AnimalRightsExtremism.info
UAR sets up a new website: AnimalRightsExtremism.info

Animal rights activists have created an exaggerated impression of their movement by their use of social and other media channels.
Cancer cells starved with gold
Cancer cells starved with gold
Artificial retina developed through animal research lets blind people see again
Artificial retina developed through animal research lets blind people see again
Research in mice suggests gut bacteria influence blood pressure
Research in mice suggests gut bacteria influence blood pressure
Bone “scaffold” helps new bones grow from stem cells
Bone “scaffold” helps new bones grow from stem cells
Diabetes cured in dog using gene therapy
Diabetes cured in dog using gene therapy
This House Does Not Believe Animal Research is a Moral Hazard
This House Does Not Believe Animal Research is a Moral Hazard
1960's RSV vaccine side-effect now explained
1960's RSV vaccine side-effect now explained
Nine out of ten statistics are taken out of context
Nine out of ten statistics are taken out of context
Cancers 'glow' in mice
Cancers 'glow' in mice
Crustaceans shown to feel pain
Crustaceans shown to feel pain
New investment in the 3Rs
New investment in the 3Rs
Home Office guidance to Animals Scientific Procedures Act
Home Office guidance to Animals Scientific Procedures Act
BBC Radio 5 live from a lab
BBC Radio 5 live from a lab
The Beauty in the Beast
The Beauty in the Beast
We are moving on Jan 15 to Hodgkin Huxley House
We are moving on Jan 15 to Hodgkin Huxley House
Vaccine against leishmaniasis trialled in golden hamsters
Vaccine against leishmaniasis trialled in golden hamsters
Video: Marmosets and research into Parkinson’s Disease
Video: Marmosets and research into Parkinson’s Disease
March of the cyborgs
March of the cyborgs
Artificial 'jellyfish' moved by heart cells
Artificial 'jellyfish' moved by heart cells
Volunteer to be a school speaker
Volunteer to be a school speaker
Record amount awarded for research to reduce animal experiments
Record amount awarded for research to reduce animal experiments
First IVF baby celebrates 34th birthday
First IVF baby celebrates 34th birthday
Cats make the headlines
Cats make the headlines
Damaged proteins block immune cell transport
Damaged proteins block immune cell transport
Nanoparticles reduce prostate tumours in mice
Nanoparticles reduce prostate tumours in mice
Child skin-cancer gene identified
Child skin-cancer gene identified
Opossum models liver disease
Opossum models liver disease
Acidic airways found in cystic fibrosis linked to bacterial infection
Acidic airways found in cystic fibrosis linked to bacterial infection
NAVA leader pleads guilty in extremism trial
NAVA leader pleads guilty in extremism trial
Huntington’s disease mutation in mice corrected using stem cells
Huntington’s disease mutation in mice corrected using stem cells
New-found hormone protects against type 2 diabetes
New-found hormone protects against type 2 diabetes
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2011
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2011
Parkinson disease protein spreads between neurons
Parkinson disease protein spreads between neurons
Diabetes medicine improves memory in mice
Diabetes medicine improves memory in mice
Animal activists arrested in UK and Holland
Animal activists arrested in UK and Holland
Stem cell therapy for Type 1 diabetes a step closer
Stem cell therapy for Type 1 diabetes a step closer
Schools poster - competition winner announced
Schools poster - competition winner announced
Myeloid leukaemia slowed in mice
Myeloid leukaemia slowed in mice
Scientists block pathological aggression in mice
Scientists block pathological aggression in mice
Cancer risk increased by bacterial infection
Cancer risk increased by bacterial infection
How the foetus avoids rejection
How the foetus avoids rejection
Stem cells repair lungs in sheep
Stem cells repair lungs in sheep
Skin cells turned into heart cells
Skin cells turned into heart cells
Mice show link between psoriasis and heart disease
Mice show link between psoriasis and heart disease
Welcome to our new look
Welcome to our new look
Type 1 diabetes reversed in mice
Type 1 diabetes reversed in mice
Chemical treats multiple sclerosis
Chemical treats multiple sclerosis
Paralysed patients control robotic arm by thought alone
Paralysed patients control robotic arm by thought alone
European Directive 2010/63/EU: UK government responds
European Directive 2010/63/EU: UK government responds
Brain cell death switched off
Brain cell death switched off
Mutations allow bird flu to spread between people
Mutations allow bird flu to spread between people
Animal research crucial for future of the NHS
Animal research crucial for future of the NHS
NEW! Classroom poster
NEW! Classroom poster
Gene therapy makes beating heart cells
Gene therapy makes beating heart cells
Blind mice see again after eye cell transplant
Blind mice see again after eye cell transplant
New protein link to spinal muscular atrophy
New protein link to spinal muscular atrophy
Pain makes the heart grow stronger
Pain makes the heart grow stronger

Scientists working with both mice and people have found that painkillers could actually hinder the body’s recovery after a heart attack.
Space mice
Space mice
Gene therapy for sickle cell
Gene therapy for sickle cell
Predictive power of the parallel approach
Predictive power of the parallel approach
Secret of stroke recovery?
Secret of stroke recovery?
Bone marrow transplant reverses Rett
Bone marrow transplant reverses Rett
Fat cells reprogrammed to burn energy
Fat cells reprogrammed to burn energy

.
Scientists 'read' mouse brains
Scientists 'read' mouse brains
The making of 'A day in the life of an animal technologist'
The making of 'A day in the life of an animal technologist'
Vitamin E causes weak bones in mice
Vitamin E causes weak bones in mice
Moving animals - are we at a tipping point?
Moving animals - are we at a tipping point?
Secret to growing new nerves
Secret to growing new nerves
Increasing egg supply to treat infertility?
Increasing egg supply to treat infertility?
Stem cells win prizes
Stem cells win prizes
Science website launches
Science website launches
Co-ordination restored in Huntington’s mice
Co-ordination restored in Huntington’s mice
Cancer treatment clears Alzheimer’s damage
Cancer treatment clears Alzheimer’s damage
Case studies showcase animal research
Case studies showcase animal research
Goldilocks gene for personalised TB treatment
Goldilocks gene for personalised TB treatment
Drug for leishmaniasis
Drug for leishmaniasis
Skin cells to nerve cells
Skin cells to nerve cells
Nearly £1 million towards replacing cancer tests
Nearly £1 million towards replacing cancer tests

Scientists have been awarded nearly £1 million to develop new test methods that should substantially reduce the numbers of animals used for testing chemicals which may cause cancer.
Gene therapy treats blindness in dogs
Gene therapy treats blindness in dogs

A common form of blindness has been successfully treated in dogs using gene therapy.
Nanoparticles boost vaccines
Nanoparticles boost vaccines

Scientists have developed nanoparticles that boost the effectiveness of vaccines in mice by mimicking part of the natural immune response.
Beagle breeding planning appeal fails
Beagle breeding planning appeal fails

On Thursday 26 January, we learned that Communities Secretary Eric Pickles had agreed with the recommendations of a planning appeal inspector and dismissed the planning appeal by B&K animal breeders in East Yorkshire.
Rats jump aboard
Rats jump aboard

On the principal that you can’t really understand something until you have tried it yourself, the UAR education team has been encouraging young people up and down the country...
Stem cells and heart repair
Stem cells and heart repair

Continuing our video series on the patient benefits of animal research, a patient interviews a scientist on how stem cells, based on animal research, may be used to repair hearts.
Schizophrenia and sleeping problems linked?
Schizophrenia and sleeping problems linked?

Recent findings that a gene associated with schizophrenia also causes abnormal sleep patterns in mice have led scientists to ponder whether the mental illness and sleep disturbance could be genetically linked.
Worm holes and lung damage
Worm holes and lung damage

New research suggests that understanding provided by parasitic worms could be used to treat serious lung injury caused by infections.
Omega-3 fatty acids protect against nerve damage
Omega-3 fatty acids protect against nerve damage

Scientists have found that omega-3 fatty acids can help speed up recovery from nerve damage.
Sex virus blamed for cancer rise
Sex virus blamed for cancer rise
One dog, 90 years, millions saved
One dog, 90 years, millions saved

Before January 1922, a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes was in effect a death sentence; many died of starvation.
Cell walls can bock infections
Cell walls can bock infections

Scientists have developed a new strategy for fighting infectious diseases.
Rare eye cancer pathway uncovered
Rare eye cancer pathway uncovered

Scientists have uncovered the secret behind the rapid progression of retinoblastoma, a rare type of childhood eye cancer.
Young blood treats old mice with MS
Young blood treats old mice with MS

By transplanting cells from the blood of young mice, scientists have successfully stimulated stem cells to repair the damaged nerve tissue of old mice with multiple sclerosis.
HIV vaccine boost
HIV vaccine boost

Scientists have created a vaccine that protects rhesus monkeys from infection by the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), a relative of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Gene could hold key to treating deafness
Gene could hold key to treating deafness

Scientists have identified a gene that, when deleted, causes deafness in mice.
Mapping memories
Mapping memories

Intricate experiments using mice have allowed scientists to visualise the formation of new brain circuits that form after birth.
Cancer treatment targets tumour growth protein
Cancer treatment targets tumour growth protein

A chemical tested in mice, cell cultures and human biopsies has proved highly effective in preventing the growth of tumours.
Gene confers resistance to Marek’s disease
Gene confers resistance to Marek’s disease

Scientists have identified a gene that appears to make chickens immune to the deadly Marek's virus - responsible for millions of deaths in chickens each year.
Tuning the immune system reverses MS
Tuning the immune system reverses MS

Scientists have found a way to reverse the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis (MS) in mice.
Weight loss treatment works in obese monkeys
Weight loss treatment works in obese monkeys

Researchers have shown that a new compound can significantly reduce the weight of monkeys by destroying blood vessels that feed fatty tissue.
Vaccine protects mice against deadly Ebola virus
Vaccine protects mice against deadly Ebola virus

Scientists have developed a vaccine which protects mice from the Ebola virus and, unlike current vaccines, can be stored for long periods of time.
Evidence-based policy
Evidence-based policy

The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Home Department, Lynne Featherstone, advanced an animal research policy based on evidence in a Commons debate on Wednesday 7 December.
World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day

It's 30 years since the first cases of HIV infection. During this time, says the website HIVaware, we've seen rapid change.
#WW award for Overlooking the Importance of Animal Research
#WW award for Overlooking the Importance of Animal Research

We liked a piece in the Huffington Post by Kirk Leech. Overlooking the Importance of Animal Research in the UK politics section of the Huffington Post...
GM cells cure anaemia in mice
GM cells cure anaemia in mice

Mice have been cured of anaemia by an injection of genetically engineered cells that, when injected underneath the skin, formed blood vessels that secreted a hormone called erythropoietin.
Information tribunal rules for both sides
Information tribunal rules for both sides

As anyone who reads it will see, a recent (11 November) Freedom of Information ruling falls some way short of the 'landmark decision' claimed by BUAV.
Naked mole rat DNA exposes its age-defying secrets
Naked mole rat DNA exposes its age-defying secrets

A team of scientists have begun to unravel the secrets underlying the long life enjoyed by naked mole rats.
Blood protein from rice treats rats
Blood protein from rice treats rats

A human blood protein has been produced using genetically modified rice and used to treat liver disease in rats.
Release of leading extremists may inspire new attacks on animal research
Release of leading extremists may inspire new attacks on animal research

Leading animal rights extremists Greg and Natasha Avery were released from prison this week.
Why don't woodpeckers get headaches?
Why don't woodpeckers get headaches?

How do woodpeckers avoid injury to their brain as their beak hits a tree at seven metres per second and up to 100 times per minute?
Blocking brain cancer in mice
Blocking brain cancer in mice

An interaction between two proteins has been found to be essential for the development of the most common form of brain cancer.
#WW award for Of Mice and Medicine
#WW award for Of Mice and Medicine

We award Paul Vallely of the Independent newspaper for his excellent article - Of Mice and Medicine.
Modified protein treats haemophilia in mice
Modified protein treats haemophilia in mice

Scientists have engineered a human clotting factor into a safe and effective treatment that cured haemophilia in mice.
Chemotherapy delivered through the nipple
Chemotherapy delivered through the nipple

Tests in both rats and patients have shown that chemotherapy delivered through the milk ducts of the nipple is more effective and leads to fewer side-effects than intravenous drug delivery.
Lords again affirm support for animal research
Lords again affirm support for animal research

Several peers confirmed their belief in the need for animal research in biomedical research, during a debate in the House of Lords yesterday (24 October 2011).
Of mice and medicine
Of mice and medicine

Subtitled In defence of animal experiments, the Independent published a four-page article in Saturday's Magazine about how animal research is 'transforming human lives'.
New antibody protects monkeys from deadly Hendra virus
New antibody protects monkeys from deadly Hendra virus

Squamous cell skin carcinoma is the second most common skin cancer after melanomas, affecting approximately 10,000 people in the UK each year.
Skin tumour reduced in mice
Skin tumour reduced in mice
Enzyme linked to miscarriages and infertility
Enzyme linked to miscarriages and infertility

Studies of patient tissue and experiments using mice have linked a specific enzyme to both infertility and miscarriage.
Sickle-cell anaemia treated in mice
Sickle-cell anaemia treated in mice

Researchers have shown that they can treat sickle-cell anaemia in mice by switching on a haemoglobin gene usually only active before birth.
#WW award for Zebrafish article in Wellcome News
#WW award for Zebrafish article in Wellcome News

The article by Emma James in the latest Wellcome News looks into why zebra fish have become so important in genetics research.
Diabetes 'cured' with brain stem cells
Diabetes 'cured' with brain stem cells

Stem cells taken from a rat's brain using a simple procedure have been made to produce insulin and used to cure diabetes in the same rat.
Of mice and men - new video
Of mice and men - new video

Watch the 'Of Mice and Men' videos to see how GM mice are used to study human disease.
Less is more for common cancer treatment
Less is more for common cancer treatment

A common cancer treatment has been shown to be more effective and less toxic when administered at more frequent, lower doses.
Lords affirm support for animal research
Lords affirm support for animal research

Members of the House of Lords on Tuesday affirmed their support for 'proper and appropriate' use of animals in medical research.
#WW award for NC3Rs review
#WW award for NC3Rs review

Our Wedneday Winner today is the NC3Rs for producing a really clear, accessible and comprehensive review of the work it funds.
Cancer inducing protein protects against diabetes
Cancer inducing protein protects against diabetes

Scientists have uncovered an intriguing signalling pathway linking cancer and diabetes.
The research they tried to stop
The research they tried to stop

Three animal rights extremists who were imprisoned for their role in the 'Save the Newchurch Guinea Pigs' campaign – Jon Ablewhite, John Smith and Kerry Whitburn – have been released from prison.
Anti-viral medicine slows brain tumour growth
Anti-viral medicine slows brain tumour growth

Scientists have found that the growth of Medulloblastoma brain tumour cells in mice can be significantly slowed using existing anti-viral medicines.
Mouse stem cells guided to become neuron-protecting cells
Mouse stem cells guided to become neuron-protecting cells

Scientists have successfully guided mouse stem cells to become specialised cells that build a protective coat around neurons.
How the brain communicates with the immune system
How the brain communicates with the immune system

Experiments on mice have identified the missing link that allows the nervous and immune systems to communicate.
Neuron’s self-defence against dementia
Neuron’s self-defence against dementia

Scientists have identified a signalling pathway used by neurons to protect against the cause of frontotemporal dementia, the second most common form of early-onset dementia after Alzheimer's disease.
Treating 'Alzheimer's disease' in mice
Treating 'Alzheimer's disease' in mice

Scientists working with mice have identified a molecule that appears to cause the dementia suffered by Alzheimer's patients.
UK Bioscience Coalition position on the European Directive on animal research
UK Bioscience Coalition position on the European Directive on animal research

Animal research is vitally important in science and medicine.
Replacing animals with nerves on a chip
Replacing animals with nerves on a chip

A team of scientists have developed a way of guiding nerve cells to set up complicated networks that mimic the ones found in the brain.
#WW award for a letter from Parkinson's UK
#WW award for a letter from Parkinson's UK

Animal Aid is running a campaign against medical charities because some of their funded work involves animals.
'Glow in the dark' cats aids HIV research
'Glow in the dark' cats aids HIV research

Scientists inserted two genes into cats: the first is taken from macaque monkeys and helps the cat resist the feline form of Aids; the second is a fluorescent gene from jellyfish that helps the researchers literally see where the added anti-aids gene is active.
Colchicine from Crocus kills cancer
Colchicine from Crocus kills cancer

A modified version of a chemical found in the Autumn crocus has shown exceptional promise as a tumour-killing agent in mice and will soon begin clinical trials in humans.
Gene deletion blocks pain
Gene deletion blocks pain

Scientists have identified the gene that allows the transmission of chronic pain.
Safer treatment for sleeping sickness
Safer treatment for sleeping sickness

Scientists have trialled a safer way of treating sleeping sickness in mice by modifying an existing medicine.
Modified bacterium protects against TB
Modified bacterium protects against TB

Mice infected with a genetically modified relative of the tuberculosis bacterium became immune to tuberculosis, a new study has shown.
Computer model predicts effect of medicines on heart
Computer model predicts effect of medicines on heart

Scientists have developed a computer model that predicts the effect of anti-arrhythmic medicines on the heart.
Stem cell treatment for stroke trial
Stem cell treatment for stroke trial

A treatment developed in rats and mice has been shown to be safe in the first ever human trial of stem cell treatment for stroke victims.
Gene therapy hope for Menkes Disease
Gene therapy hope for Menkes Disease

Studies in GM mice have shown that a combination of gene therapy and copper injections could be effective in treating Menkes Disease, a lethal and progressive disease that mainly affects young boys.
Gene mapping opens new insights into the brain
Gene mapping opens new insights into the brain

A map of gene activity has been created that scientists hope will shed new light on the causes of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
Breakthrough against deadly Ebola virus
Breakthrough against deadly Ebola virus

Scientists have uncovered the Achilles heel of the deadly Ebola virus; the breakthrough could lead to the first treatment for the tropical disease within a decade.
Obese mice fed artifical enzyme live longer
Obese mice fed artifical enzyme live longer

A new artificial enzyme(SRT1720) has been found to increase the lifespan of obese mice.
Gene therapy treats Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Gene therapy treats Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Modified stem cells have been used to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in mice by replacing the faulty gene that causes the disease with a normal version of the gene.
Ear cells could be used in facial reconstruction
Ear cells could be used in facial reconstruction

Tissue grown from stem cells taken from patients' ears could be used in facial reconstructions, tests in mice have shown.
Why fatty diet can lead to type 2 diabetes
Why fatty diet can lead to type 2 diabetes

Rates of diabetes have doubled in the last 30 years and doctors say rising levels of obesity are the main contributing factor.
#ww Buffering brains against stress
#ww Buffering brains against stress

The hippocampus creates new neurones throughout our lives - so what happens if you bring "the hippocampus's production line to a screeching halt?"
Artificial protein could be 'universal' anti-viral
Artificial protein could be 'universal' anti-viral

Antibiotics such as penicillin can be used to treat all sorts of bacterial infections, but doctors have few options when it comes to viral infections.
Some facts about Parkinson's and Alzheimer's research
Some facts about Parkinson's and Alzheimer's research

The animal rights group Animal Aid launched an ill-informed, illogical and ill-conceived campaign against medical research charities a few weeks ago.
Mouse births from stem cell sperm
Mouse births from stem cell sperm

In the UK around 1 in 10 men are infertile, often because of low sperm counts.
Allergy testing with human cells
Allergy testing with human cells

Allergic reactions to everyday chemicals are common causing eczema in millions of people, and tests on animals have been important in testing new chemicals for skin sensitisation.
Starving kidney cancer in mice
Starving kidney cancer in mice

Researchers have identified a new chemical (STF-31) that selectively kills kidney cancer cells by blocking their glucose supply.
Cancer treatment for 'schizophrenic' mice
Cancer treatment for 'schizophrenic' mice

Schizophrenia is one of the most common serious mental health conditions in the UK, affecting 1 in 2000 people at some time in their lives.
Shining a light on ataxia
Shining a light on ataxia

When people stagger after drinking too much ethanol has caused reversible ataxia – a loss of muscular co-ordination.
#ww Can scientists follow Laura’s lead?
#ww Can scientists follow Laura’s lead?

Mark Henderson’s Science Matters column in today's Times Eureka gets our #ww Wednesday Winner award for communication about animal research (OK, it’s not Wednesday, but this column is a deserving winner).
Broken sleep disrupts memory
Broken sleep disrupts memory

Research on mice has shown that uninterrupted sleep is vital for memory consolidation.
Coalition pledge on household product testing
Coalition pledge on household product testing

This month’s awaited pledge by the coalition government to end household product testing on animals has been welcomed by the UK research community.
#ww award for the Ark Hive
#ww award for the Ark Hive

Dr. Paul Foster, a Lecturer in Molecular Endocrinology at the University of Birmingham, is an experienced cancer researcher and pharmacologist with a strong interest in understanding how animals help advance medical research.
UK research using monkeys 'outstanding'
UK research using monkeys 'outstanding'

A report published today, called Review of research using non-human primates, recommends that scientific research on monkeys should continue in the UK, subject to rigorous safeguards.
I'm a scientist: get me in there!
I'm a scientist: get me in there!

For two weeks this June I took part in the 'I'm a scientist...get me out of here 2011' competition at the Wellcome Trust.
Animals containing human material
Animals containing human material

What are 'animals containing human material' (ACHM) and why the sudden interest in them?
Helping the hunt for disease genes
Helping the hunt for disease genes

A few weeks ago it was announced that researchers have created genome-wide, high-resolution genetic maps of 100 inbred mouse strains.
Mice with human livers
Mice with human livers

To better study the breakdown and toxicity of new medicines in a human liver, scientists have created what has been named a ‘humanised mouse'.
Meningitis B vaccine one step closer
Meningitis B vaccine one step closer

A study using mice has led scientists one step closer to developing a vaccine against the most common cause of bacterial meningitis, Meningococcus B.
Committing to the three Rs
Committing to the three Rs

The UK Home Office this morning agreed arrangements to deliver two Coalition commitments relating to the use of animals in scientific research
Spine repair allows rats to breathe again
Spine repair allows rats to breathe again

Injuries that damage the spinal cord at the top of the neck can damage the nerve connections between the respiratory centre in the brain and the diaphragm muscles that we need to breathe normally.
#ww Animal models: Inside the minds of mice and men
#ww Animal models: Inside the minds of mice and men

Monya Baker has given us a good and useful read. Her article in Nature provides many examples of animal models for human conditions and gives a clear appraisal of their value.
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2010
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2010
Brain tumour growth slowed
Brain tumour growth slowed

Brain cancers caused by malignant gliomas account for around 3,000 deaths in the UK each year.
Polar bears and brown bears interbred
Polar bears and brown bears interbred

A genetic study of living and the ancient remains of polar and brown bears has revealed that they interbred during the last ice age and that modern polar bears are descended on the female side from brown bears that lived in Ireland.
Protein linked to cancer
Protein linked to cancer
Vaccine against Streptococcus pneumonia
Vaccine against Streptococcus pneumonia

Salmonella poisoning typically causes diarrhoea.
Reversing Rett Syndrome in mice
Reversing Rett Syndrome in mice

New research using mouse models has shown that glial cells, which protect and support neurons in the brain, play a central role in preventing the severe symptoms of Rett Syndrome.
But can they suffer?
But can they suffer?

'The question is not can they reason nor can they talk, but rather can they suffer?' Jeremy Bentham
Millions owe their lives to animal research
Millions owe their lives to animal research

Leading research organisations have responded to misleading claims made by an antivivisection group in its recent letter to the Lancet.
Cheap treatment for sleeping sickness
Cheap treatment for sleeping sickness

Researchers are preparing for clinical trials of the first inexpensive oral treatment for Trypanosomiasis, the parasitic disease commonly known as sleeping sickness that is transmitted to humans by the tsetse fly.
Gene repair treats haemophilia
Gene repair treats haemophilia

About one in 30,000 boys are born with a defective gene that causes haemophilia B.
SchoolZone Goes Live
SchoolZone Goes Live

The UAR SchoolZone is a brand new part of our site dedicated to school age students and their teachers.
Animal research and diabetes
Animal research and diabetes

In this film we hear from Chloe, who has diabetes, and Dr Aileen King, who researches into diabetes.
#WW award for ... Animal research is helping us beat cancer
#WW award for ... Animal research is helping us beat cancer

'Thanks to decades of research, survival from cancer has doubled in the last 40 years, giving thousands of people more time with their loved ones.
Vaccine shrinks prostate tumours in mice
Vaccine shrinks prostate tumours in mice

A vaccine containing a broad spectrum of tumour antigens delivered in a virus vector successfully treated 8 out of 10 mice with prostate cancer.
Why do charities fund animal research?
Why do charities fund animal research?

The animal rights group Animal Aid has launched a campaign against medical research charities who fund animal research.
Chemical in apple peel strengthens muscle
Chemical in apple peel strengthens muscle

An apple a day really does keep the doctor away according to a new study in mice.
New regulations will boost good science, promote animal welfare
New regulations will boost good science, promote animal welfare

New animal research regulations from Europe will enhance the welfare of animals, facilitate modern science and cut through excessive red tape.
CJD research potential for Alzheimer’s
CJD research potential for Alzheimer’s

Researchers working on treatments for the brain disorder Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) may have found a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
Heart repair initiated in mice
Heart repair initiated in mice

Human hearts cannot repair themselves after a heart attack damages heart muscle.
New mouse model for hepatitis C
New mouse model for hepatitis C

The hepatitis C virus infects in the region of 170 million people around the world and creates an increased risk of cirrhosis, liver failure and cancer.
UAR in Mauritius
UAR in Mauritius

Macaques, like humans, are not indigenous to the island of Mauritius, isolated as it is in the Indian ocean.
Protein suppression stops leukaemia growth in mice
Protein suppression stops leukaemia growth in mice

Leukaemia causing stem cells have been eliminated in mice by suppressing two proteins.
‘Trojan Horse’ brain cancer treatment increases lifespan
‘Trojan Horse’ brain cancer treatment increases lifespan

A novel ‘Trojan horse' method of treating brain cancer has increased the survival time of mice by one half.
BBC interviews UAR about beagle breeding plans
BBC interviews UAR about beagle breeding plans

Animal rights protestors are targeting the beagle breeding company B&K Universal's plans for modernisation of their site in Grimston.
Targeting genes to stop breast tumours
Targeting genes to stop breast tumours

Some breast cancers do not respond to currently available chemotherapy.
Rodent Respect
Rodent Respect

This months Wednesday Winner website (#WW) is Rodent Respect. The site was created for scientists who work with rodents, especially students.
Do-it-yourself animal research
Do-it-yourself animal research

It is often said that the only way to really learn anything is to do it yourself.
Armadillos infect humans with leprosy
Armadillos infect humans with leprosy

Armadillos can infect humans with leprosy, according to a new study comparing the disease in US patients and armadillos.
Skin cancer protein identified in mice
Skin cancer protein identified in mice

Scientists have identified a protein that suppresses skin cancer in mice.
A history of Beecham’s
A history of Beecham’s

The story of Thomas Beecham, founder of the company that went on to become part of Glaxo SmithKline, is quite extraordinary.
Mouse model of human immune system validated
Mouse model of human immune system validated

A mouse model of the human immune system has been validated by replicating the results of a recent human HIV clinical trial.
Prostate tumours reduced in mice
Prostate tumours reduced in mice

Prostate tumours have been in reduced in mice using a medicine originally designed to treat obesity.
Nine cell types to re-grow a fin
Nine cell types to re-grow a fin

Understanding regeneration in model organisms gives hope that it may one day be possible for amputees to regrow limbs, or for heart attack patients to regrow healthy heart muscle.
Vulture decline slows
Vulture decline slows

The ban on a veterinary medicine which caused an unprecedented decline in Asian vulture populations has shown the first signs of progress.
#WW - Untangling the brain
#WW - Untangling the brain

Our brains are a dense tangle of billions of nerve cells connected together at synapses. Knowing how everything links up is key to understanding how the brain works – but it's a huge challenge.
Vaccine protects monkeys against SIV
Vaccine protects monkeys against SIV

A vaccine has been developed that protects monkeys from Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV), the monkey equivalent of HIV.
Creation of new Animal Welfare Centre in Scotland
Creation of new Animal Welfare Centre in Scotland

The Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) is to coordinate a major, new, EU funded, research project to create a Centre of Excellence in Animal Welfare Science.
Number of nerve stem cells declines with age
Number of nerve stem cells declines with age

A new study may explain why our brains produce fewer new neurons with age.
Antidepressants stimulate nerve cell growth
Antidepressants stimulate nerve cell growth

Stress can cause depressive illness in humans and has visible effects on mice such as failure to groom and weight loss.
Possible treatment for muscular dystrophy
Possible treatment for muscular dystrophy

About 100 boys are born with muscular dystrophies every year in the UK.
Technique mass produces neural stem cells
Technique mass produces neural stem cells

Stem cells hold the promise of cures for injuries such as spinal cord damage and diseases such as Parkinson's but producing large quantities of cells for experiments and clinical trials is proving very difficult.
How exercise protects the heart
How exercise protects the heart

Work with mice has shown that the elevated levels of nitric oxide produced during exercise protect the heart from injury during a heart attack.
European Chemical Agency call for animal test data
European Chemical Agency call for animal test data

Chemical safety in Europe is regulated in part by REACH*.
#WW Wednesday Web award - Smallpox Through Time
#WW Wednesday Web award - Smallpox Through Time

In Elizabethan times smallpox killed more people than TB, leprosy, plague and syphilis combined.
How TB destroys lungs
How TB destroys lungs

GM mice have helped identify a key enzyme responsible for destroying lung tissue in tuberculosis (TB).
UAR appoints Interim CEO
UAR appoints Interim CEO

The UAR Council is delighted to announce that, following a rigorous selection process, we have recruited David Pruce as Interim Chief Executive to ensure that our important work continues and thrives.
Aspirin may reduce effects of Prozac
Aspirin may reduce effects of Prozac

Aspirin and other anti-inflammatory medicines taken for pain relief may reduce the effectiveness of antidepressants such as Prozac.
New hope for MS
New hope for MS

Unlocking a key messenger protein in the body’s defences could be a first step to new treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases, suggest studies in mice with a form of the disease.
Are wild animals happier?
Are wild animals happier?

Are wild animals happier? That was the question posed by Christie Wilcox for a guest blog in Scientific American.
Gene linked to lung cancer spread
Gene linked to lung cancer spread

Scientists have identified a genetic change that makes lung tumours more likely to spread to other parts of the body.
Growing new blood vessels in mice
Growing new blood vessels in mice

Heart attacks and strokes could be prevented using a new method of blood vessel regeneration, according to research on mice.
Virtual rats' whiskers
Virtual rats' whiskers

A new computer model of rats' whiskers is helping scientists understand how rats process the sense of touch.
Genes temporarily turned-off
Genes temporarily turned-off

Scientists have created a new method to temporarily turn off the function of genes in mice.
Memory loss linked to stress
Memory loss linked to stress

Scientists have discovered how stress contributes to memory loss in old rats.
Monkey malaria infecting humans
Monkey malaria infecting humans
UK public opinion largely positive
UK public opinion largely positive

Recent research on public attitudes to animal experimentation has been published on the Ipsos MORI website.
A Question of Care
A Question of Care

From our archive - this video about the care of laboratory animals was produced by the Biomedical Research Trust in 2003.
Retina grown in the lab
Retina grown in the lab

Mouse retinas have been grown in the lab using embryonic stem cells.
New mechanism links type-2 diabetes to obesity
New mechanism links type-2 diabetes to obesity

Scientists have discovered a mechanism linking type-2 diabetes to obesity.
Stem cells for skin repair
Stem cells for skin repair

New treatments for chronic wounds could be developed following the discovery of stem cells that repair damaged skin tissue.
Fish for Science is the first Wednesday Winner
Fish for Science is the first Wednesday Winner

We've awarded our first Wednesday award to The MRC Centre for Developmental and Biomedical Genetics for their Fish for Science website.
Genes for acute myeloid leukaemia
Genes for acute myeloid leukaemia

Scientists have identified three types of gene mutation that lead to acute myeloid leukaemia.
New skin cancer gene, new treatment
New skin cancer gene, new treatment

The discovery of a gene linked to skin cancer in zebrafish could lead to new treatments for the disease.
Be a Wednesday Winner #WW
Be a Wednesday Winner #WW

We are starting our very own webby awards, which we are calling Wednesday Winners (#WW).
The teenager who took a stand against animal rights protesters
The teenager who took a stand against animal rights protesters

Laurie Pycroft, who founded Pro-Test five years ago, was profiled in The Independent Education section today.
European chemicals industry to develop non-animal toxicity tests
European chemicals industry to develop non-animal toxicity tests

The European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) has launched a £450,000 research project into finding non-animal methods of toxicity testing.
Multiple sclerosis reversed in mice
Multiple sclerosis reversed in mice

The process of nerve cell degeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS) can be reversed, according to new research in mice.
Protein linked to autism in mice
Protein linked to autism in mice

Research on GM mice has found how mutations in a single protein can lead to autism.
Jamie’s Dream School – animal madness?
Jamie’s Dream School – animal madness?

In his science lessons for Jamie’s Dream School on Channel 4, Lord Winston showed the dramatic (in more ways than one!) impact that using animals can have in science lessons.
Optimising GM mouse research
Optimising GM mouse research

'The MRC is absolutely committed to basic research and we understand the value of mouse genetics', said Professor Sir John Savill, CEO of the Medical Research Council today, announcing a multi-million pound investment in mouse genetics.
GM pig gets cystic fibrosis
GM pig gets cystic fibrosis

A GM pig that gets cystic fibrosis is helping scientists understand the causes of the disease.
Mice sperm grown in the lab
Mice sperm grown in the lab

Treatments for infertility in men could come from success in growing mouse sperm.
UAR makes a Big Bang
UAR makes a Big Bang

UAR teamed up with the Y Touring Company this month for a series of workshops about the use of animals in research at this year's Big Bang Science Fair held at London's Excel Centre.
RatCAP brain scanner
RatCAP brain scanner

Scientists have developed a mini brain-scanner that allows them to study brain function and behaviour simultaneously in rats.
Rousing research
Rousing research

Did you know that it is exactly 100 years since a little-known researcher called Francis Peyton Rous in New York discovered that chickens could get cancer from viruses? We didn’t think so.
Mouse mimics another childhood brain cancer
Mouse mimics another childhood brain cancer

Scientists have created a mouse model of the most common type of paediatric brain cancer.
Poor diet in pregnancy linked to diabetes in offspring
Poor diet in pregnancy linked to diabetes in offspring

Poor diet during pregnancy could raise the risk of offspring developing diabetes, according to new research in rats.
Self-doubting monkeys
Self-doubting monkeys

New research suggests macaques experience self-doubt and uncertainty when making decisions.
Tiny sensors monitor heart attacks
Tiny sensors monitor heart attacks

The severity of a heart attack can be determined using tiny implanted sensors, according to new research on mice. Similar sensors could be used to monitor people at high risk of heart attack.
Black-footed kittens born through IVF
Black-footed kittens born through IVF

IVF has helped millions of couples achieve pregnancy, and not only in humans: it was with IVF that scientists recently produced these amazingly cute kittens.
Heart regeneration in newborn mice
Heart regeneration in newborn mice

Newborn mice can regenerate their own heart tissue following heart damage.
Mouse mimics childhood brain cancer
Mouse mimics childhood brain cancer

Scientists have created the first mouse model of a deadly form of childhood brain cancer.
Exercise reduces ageing in GM mice
Exercise reduces ageing in GM mice

Regular endurance exercise reduces the effects of ageing, according to new research on mice.
Artificial blood vessel success in animals
Artificial blood vessel success in animals

Artificial blood vessels for use in heart bypass surgery have been successfully tested in baboons and dogs.
New understanding of 'suspended animation'
New understanding of 'suspended animation'

Research on bears has extended our understanding of large mammal hibernation.
Enzyme reduces cancer spread
Enzyme reduces cancer spread

The spread of cancer to other organs has been reduced in mice by blocking an enzyme.
European medical science group states position on new law
European medical science group states position on new law

The medical science group within the European Science Forum (ESF-EMRC) has produced a position paper on the new Directive on the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Procedures.
Spinal cord damage bridged in rats
Spinal cord damage bridged in rats

Artificial ‘scaffolding' has been used to bridge spinal cord injuries in rats.
Type 1 diabetes treated in mice
Type 1 diabetes treated in mice

Type 1 diabetes has been treated in GM mice using antibodies.
Wounds trigger tumours
Wounds trigger tumours

Certain types of cancer could be triggered by simple wounds, according to new research on mice.
What's this?
What's this?

Why have we got a QR code on our site?
Kidney regenerator cell identified
Kidney regenerator cell identified

Zebrafish are renowned in the science community for their ability to repair damage to heart muscle.
Watch and read - Where do medicines come from?
Watch and read - Where do medicines come from?

We've produced a new leaflet and accompanying video that is being distributed to GP waiting rooms throughout the UK for the next six months.
Enzyme linked to blindness
Enzyme linked to blindness

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has been linked to the lack of a protective enzyme in the retina.
Glowing nerve cells
Glowing nerve cells

Scientists have developed a way to make nerves glow in mice.
HIV-like virus cured in mice
HIV-like virus cured in mice

Scientists have used a hormone to completely remove a HIV like virus from mice.
Protein predicts cancer spread
Protein predicts cancer spread

Scientists have identified a protein that tumours make when they are likely to spread.
Cancer medicine could treat spinal injury
Cancer medicine could treat spinal injury

The cancer medicine Taxol has been used to treat spinal injury in rats.
Gut bacteria affect brain development
Gut bacteria affect brain development

Bacteria in the gut acquired early in life could affect future brain development and behaviour, according to new research on mice.
Hormone improves memory in rats
Hormone improves memory in rats

A hormone has been found that boosts the memory of an unpleasant experience in rats.
Lack of omega-3 linked to mood disorders
Lack of omega-3 linked to mood disorders

Mice fed a diet lacking in the fatty acid omega-3 are more susceptible to mood disorders, according to new research.
Tiny camera reveals brain changes in real time
Tiny camera reveals brain changes in real time

An innovative new instrument has been developed that enables scientists to observe changes deep inside the brains of animals.
Caffeine could cure hangover headaches
Caffeine could cure hangover headaches

Caffeine and painkillers could be the most effective cure for a hangover headache, suggests new research on rats.
Fighting cancer with cancer
Fighting cancer with cancer

An innovative new approach to fighting cancer has reduced tumour size in mice.
New video - mice as a model for Alzheimer's disease
New video - mice as a model for Alzheimer's disease

Mice can be used to mimic Alzheimer's disease in humans.
RNA based medicine for HIV
RNA based medicine for HIV

A potential RNA based treatment for HIV is showing positive results in tests on mice.
UK scientist wins prize for improving animal welfare
UK scientist wins prize for improving animal welfare

Each year the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) awards a prize for innovative research which has an impact on the use of animals in life sciences.
UAR CEO moves to SGM
UAR CEO moves to SGM

Dr Simon Festing, the Chief Executive of Understanding Animal Research for a little over six years, is leaving the organisation to take up the post of CEO of the Society for General Microbiology (SGM).
Scientists closer to MRSA vaccine
Scientists closer to MRSA vaccine

Scientists are closer to developing a vaccine against the superbug MRSA.
MicroRNA combats prostate cancer
MicroRNA combats prostate cancer

Small strands of RNA, called microRNA, inhibit prostate cancer stem cells in mice.
Zebrafish grow abnormally in microgravity
Zebrafish grow abnormally in microgravity

Zebrafish raised in microgravity, replicating the conditions of space, develop skull defects.
GM chickens prevent transmission of bird flu
GM chickens prevent transmission of bird flu

Bird flu epidemics could be prevented by GM chickens that stop the spread of flu to other birds.
Artificial intestine reduces animal tests
Artificial intestine reduces animal tests

An artificial human digestive system is replacing the use of animals in some tests to see how medicines are absorbed, The Times reported last week.
Stem cells could end blood platelet shortage
Stem cells could end blood platelet shortage

Blood platelets produced from embryonic stem cells have been used to repair damaged tissues in mice.
Vaccine induces cocaine immunity in mice
Vaccine induces cocaine immunity in mice

Cocaine immunity has been induced in mice using an altered version of the common cold virus.
Genetic modification strengthens hearts
Genetic modification strengthens hearts

Mice have been genetically modified to grow stronger hearts.
GM rats are the new GM mice
GM rats are the new GM mice

Mice are the archetypal laboratory animal.
Horse genital cancer virus identified
Horse genital cancer virus identified

Scientists have discovered a virus linked to genital cancer in horses.
Mechanism behind autism uncovered
Mechanism behind autism uncovered

Nerve cells that are unable to communicate effectively may be responsible for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), according to new research on mice.
Rats sniff out tuberculosis
Rats sniff out tuberculosis

Gambian pouched rats are being used by scientists to sniff out tuberculosis in mucus samples.
Scientists create singing mouse
Scientists create singing mouse

Scientists have created a mouse that is said to sing like a bird.
Zebrafish improve understanding of cancer growth
Zebrafish improve understanding of cancer growth

Experiments on zebrafish larvae have revealed how cancer cells harness the immune system to quicken the spread of the disease.
Art meets science in mouse's brain
Art meets science in mouse's brain

Animals have been used to understand the inner workings of the brain since the very beginnings of neuroscience.
How you live now impacts on the children you have yet to conceive
How you live now impacts on the children you have yet to conceive

Smoking or drinking while pregnant can damage the unborn child.
World-leading research institute gets go-ahead
World-leading research institute gets go-ahead

We are pleased to report that planning permission was granted last week for a new world-leading biomedical research institute in London.
Alzheimer’s reversed in mice by memory protein
Alzheimer’s reversed in mice by memory protein

Memory loss has been reversed in Alzheimer's mice by boosting levels of a memory related protein.
Childhood flu may protect against asthma
Childhood flu may protect against asthma

Exposure to bacteria or viruses as child could reduce your chances of contracting asthma, according to new research on mice.
Stem cells combat muscular dystrophy
Stem cells combat muscular dystrophy

A new mouse model of muscular dystrophy has found that stem cells play an important role in this genetic disease.
Freedom of Information - judgement on confidentiality clause at a university
Freedom of Information - judgement on confidentiality clause at a university

Recently, a tribunal ruled that under the Freedom of Information Act a university can be said to 'hold' project licences (irrespective of how they are actually stored at the university) and that section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) would not prevent disclosure of information from the project licences.
Biological clock pigment could help blind people
Biological clock pigment could help blind people

Light sensing cells (photosensitive ganglion cells) in the eye, which contain the pigment melanopsin, set the body's biological clock.
Animal instinct
Animal instinct

Following directly from the Basel Declaration that we covered on Tuesday, an editorial in Nature, 9 December 2010, has urged German science to set up an organisation like Understanding Animal Research to engage the public on the medical benefits of animal research.
Dementia confuses memories
Dementia confuses memories

Confused memories rather than memory loss may be the cause of 'forgetfulness' in dementia patients, according to new research.
Winter birth may alter biological clock
Winter birth may alter biological clock

Being born in winter could make your long-term biological clock tick slower, according to a new study on mice.
Enzyme causes chronic pain
Enzyme causes chronic pain

An enzyme responsible for making pain last after nerve injury has been discovered in mice.
Basel Declaration calls for open dialogue
Basel Declaration calls for open dialogue

More than 50 top scientists working in Germany and Switzerland have launched a new Declaration about animal research.
Focus on fluorescent filming
Focus on fluorescent filming

The Scientist reported on its top ten life-science innovations for 2010 this week.
Scientists create 'couch potato' mouse
Scientists create 'couch potato' mouse

By removing a protein that muscles use to convert fuel into energy, the researchers produced a mouse with normal body weight but which did not have enough energy to exercise.
How much effort on alternatives? The answer is a lot
How much effort on alternatives? The answer is a lot

Our attention was drawn this week to a relatively new European initiative called AXLR8, a consortium which aims to accelerate progress in developing alternatives to animals for safety testing.
Ageing reversed in mice
Ageing reversed in mice

Premature ageing can be reversed in mice, hinting at the possibility of anti-aging treatments for humans.
World AIDS Day - 1 December
World AIDS Day - 1 December

The HIV & AIDS page on our partner website AnimalResearch.info has been updated to mark World AIDS Day on 1 December.
Infiltration: most allegations unfounded
Infiltration: most allegations unfounded

Understanding Animal Research today (Tuesday 30 November) welcomed a report from the Home Office addressing claims by an animal rights group about animal research and testing at a UK facility in 2009.
New European law marks dawn of a new era
New European law marks dawn of a new era

The new European Directive 2010/63/EU on animal experimentation has been finalised.
New video: Why do we use animals in research?
New video: Why do we use animals in research?

In this short interview with Dr Simon Festing, we hear his response to questions such as: Why is their so much secrecy in animal research?
Changing nerve cells could treat spinal injury
Changing nerve cells could treat spinal injury

Nerve cells made from a person's own skin suggest a novel way to treat spinal injury.
Compound controls weight and blood sugar
Compound controls weight and blood sugar

A new compound has been designed that controls weight and blood sugar in mice, raising the prospect of a treatment for sufferers of obesity and diabetes.
Shining a light on depressive disorders
Shining a light on depressive disorders

Depression and anxiety affect a significant proportion of the British population, yet the underlying causes behind these medical disorders remain elusive.
How familiarisation breeds contempt
How familiarisation breeds contempt

How do we learn to recognise new sensations and distinguish them from those we are already familiar with?
Blood pressure medicine could treat Alzheimer’s
Blood pressure medicine could treat Alzheimer’s

A medicine previously used to treat high blood pressure could now be applied to Alzheimer's disease following tests on GM mice.
‘Fat gene’ causes overeating in mice
‘Fat gene’ causes overeating in mice

A ‘fat gene' has been found to cause overeating in GM mice.
Pregnant mice point to treatment for premature labour
Pregnant mice point to treatment for premature labour

Scientists have found that the onset of labour is controlled by tiny molecules called microRNA.
World Diabetes Day - 14 November
World Diabetes Day - 14 November

World Diabetes Day (WDD) is the primary global awareness campaign of the diabetes world.
GM mouse immune to cancer
GM mouse immune to cancer

Cancer tumours somehow escape the body's immune system, even when that immune system is primed by a vaccine designed to specifically target the cancer.
Gene mutation increases dementia
Gene mutation increases dementia

The dementia associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases is commonly associated with abnormal clumps of a protein (B-synuclein) in the brain.
Mice treated for memory loss
Mice treated for memory loss

Mice treated with a brain enzyme inhibitor performed better in memory tests than untreated mice.
New government committed to continued crackdown
New government committed to continued crackdown

Following the sentencing of six animal rights extremists on Monday, the new government made clear that it remains committed to countering criminal activity carried out in the name of animal rights.
New video - How much animal research in the UK?
New video - How much animal research in the UK?

A new video, How much animal research is done in the UK, is now available in our youtube site and in the video section in the resources page on this website.
Deadly rinderpest virus eradicated
Deadly rinderpest virus eradicated

The UN has just announced that rinderpest, a virus that used to cause deadly outbreaks in cattle, has been eradicated in the wild.
Congenitally deaf cats have better peripheral vision
Congenitally deaf cats have better peripheral vision

When the brain is deprived of input from one sense it often compensates with above normal performance in another sense.
Elixir of life?
Elixir of life?

Supplementing the diet of healthy middle-aged mice with a mixture of amino-acids - the building blocks of proteins - extended their average lifespan by over one tenth.
Potential treatment for terminal cancer
Potential treatment for terminal cancer

For the first time, researchers have discovered a therapy that can treat the invariably lethal terminal stages of cancer in animals.
The top 100 scientists in Britain today
The top 100 scientists in Britain today

The first list of its kind for science, The Eureka 100: The Science List by The Times last week aimed to identify the 100 most important people in British science.
EU-wide animal research statistics, 2008
EU-wide animal research statistics, 2008
Mice muscles controlled by light
Mice muscles controlled by light

How do you re-animate paralysed limbs? A new approach being trialled on genetically modified mice uses flashes of light.
No retirement for chimp colony
No retirement for chimp colony

186 chimps currently housed in unofficial retirement in the Alamogordo Primate Facility in New Mexico are to be re-housed in the Southwest National Primate Research Center.
Mice and monkeys metabolise BPA like humans
Mice and monkeys metabolise BPA like humans

New research shows female mice, monkeys and humans appear to metabolise the oestrogen-like chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in similar ways.
Free course on science communication
Free course on science communication

The National Science Learning Centre in York is offering a fantastic opportunity to improve your science communication skills with a two-day course on engagement with schools and young people on 18-19 October 2010.
EU directive on animal research becomes law
EU directive on animal research becomes law

Yesterday the President of the European Parliament, and the Belgian State Secretary (representing the EU countries) put pen to paper and signed the new EU Directive 8869/10 in the use of animals in scientific research.
Retinal cells transplanted into blind mice
Retinal cells transplanted into blind mice

Retinal cells, necessary for colour vision, have been successfully transplanted into blind mice.
Loss of gene makes mice smarter
Loss of gene makes mice smarter

Mice with a disabled RGS14 gene are able to remember objects and learn to navigate mazes better than normal mice.
Tasmanian Devil genome sequenced
Tasmanian Devil genome sequenced

The Tasmanian Devil is at risk of extinction in the wild due to a transmissible cancer passed on when one animal bites another.
Drug reverses diabetes nerve damage
Drug reverses diabetes nerve damage

Diabetes can cause the death of nerves in the body's extremities, a condition known as diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN).
Single gene regulates motor neurons in the spinal cord
Single gene regulates motor neurons in the spinal cord

As a normal mammalian body grows, hundreds of motor neurons grow from the spinal cord to the muscles they will control.
Support for research that uses animals containing human material
Support for research that uses animals containing human material

The public broadly supports research on animals containing human material, according to an Ipsos Mori survey of 1,042 people.
European parliament votes on animal research directive
European parliament votes on animal research directive

Today the European Parliament agreed on the final text of the new Directive concerning the use of animals in research.
Anti-clotting medicine attacks lupus
Anti-clotting medicine attacks lupus

Lupus is a chronic disease where the body's own immune system attacks healthy tissue, causing inflammation, pain and damage in organs, particularly the kidneys.
How fish oils reduce inflammation
How fish oils reduce inflammation

The omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA found in oily fish reduce inflammation, which in turn reduces the symptoms of arthritis and reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Rat pancreas grows in mouse
Rat pancreas grows in mouse

An ultimate goal of regenerative medicine is the generation of organs derived from a patient's stem cells.
Why older women fail to conceive
Why older women fail to conceive

As women get older the chances of infertility, birth defects and developmental disabilities go up.
Malaria cured in mice
Malaria cured in mice

Increasing resistance to anti-malarials, such as those based on Artemisinin, have prompted a need for new treatments.
Resetting body clock in mice
Resetting body clock in mice

Researchers have successfully used a chemical to reset and restart the natural 24-hour body clock in mice.
New approaches to animal research in schools
New approaches to animal research in schools

Animal research is a favourite topic when teachers are looking for a sure-fire way to get their students interested in the ethics of science, but are schools getting all they can from this complex, sometimes difficult, always fascinating subject?
Monkeys survive lethal Ebola and Marbug
Monkeys survive lethal Ebola and Marbug

Monkeys treated with a therapy that targets specific viral genes survived deadly Ebola and Marbug infections, a new study reports.
Magnetic medicines treat brain tumours
Magnetic medicines treat brain tumours

The barrier between blood vessels and the brain may no longer limit the delivery of medicines to tumours, research on rats shows.
Shellfish toxin testing
Shellfish toxin testing

The recently published Annual report (2009) of the Animals Scientific Procedures Inspectorate and Division highlights progress towards suitable alternatives to replace the use of mice in the testing for toxins in shellfish.
Star dogs
Star dogs

UGUST 20, 1960: MOSCOW The Soviet Union today launched its second cosmic space ship, the Soviet news agency, Tass, said. The space ship carries animals, including two dogs.
GM rats promise better disease models
GM rats promise better disease models

Scientists have created a ‘knockout rat' that can be used to model certain diseases in the same way as mice.
Chillis may reduce blood pressure
Chillis may reduce blood pressure

Capsaicin, a compound found in chilli peppers, has been found to reduce high blood pressure in rats.
Mouse clues to testicular cancer
Mouse clues to testicular cancer

For the first time scientists will be able to study the development of human testes in mice.
'Home grown' joints
'Home grown' joints

The body's own cells could be used to aid the repair of joints, a pioneering rabbit study has revealed.
Puma may aid tumour growth
Puma may aid tumour growth

A study on mice suggests that cell suicide may encourage tumours to grow instead of destroying them.
Street-smart insulin
Street-smart insulin

Mouse research has revealed a link between bone remodelling, blood sugar and diabetes.
7,000 and counting...
7,000 and counting...

Are you a school science teacher or a GCSE science student? Don't miss out next year - invite a volunteer speaker into your schoo
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2009
Animal research statistics for Great Britain, 2009
Ferrets, flu, fish and pharmaceuticals
Ferrets, flu, fish and pharmaceuticals

Grants worth £4 million have just been announced for 13 science projects that aim to minimise the use of laboratory animals and improve their welfare.
Flu patch
Flu patch

A vaccine in the form of a skin patch has proved more effective than a needle in mice.
Down syndrome: two genes crucial
Down syndrome: two genes crucial

Some of the symptoms relating to Down syndrome have been linked to two genes on chromosome 21, a study on mice has shown.
Protein linked to heart failure
Protein linked to heart failure

Elevated levels of the protein CIB1 causes enlargement of the heart and subsequent heart failure, according to rodent research.
Primitive cells help blind mice see
Primitive cells help blind mice see

Primitive retinal cells, that were previously thought to have no role in image formation, can help blind mice see.
Scientists watch armed immune cells fight cancer
Scientists watch armed immune cells fight cancer

Armed and tagged immune cells can be watched attacking tumours in mice in real time.
A light on Parkinson's
A light on Parkinson's

Shining a laser into the brain may ease the symptoms of Parkinson’s, a new study in mice has shown.
A pill that could reverse Alzheimer’s
A pill that could reverse Alzheimer’s

A new compound that may reverse Alzheimer’s in humans has proven successful in rats and mice.
Physical, social stimulation may starve tumours
Physical, social stimulation may starve tumours

Mice with cancer living in enriched environments had smaller tumours, new research has revealed.
Artificial lung an alternative test-bed?
Artificial lung an alternative test-bed?

A functional artificial lung on a chip, which mimics the behavour of mouse lungs, has been created.
Cancers linked by faulty gene
Cancers linked by faulty gene

Prostate cancer and hereditary breast cancer could be linked by the same gene, research on mice suggests.
New guidelines for reporting research
New guidelines for reporting research

The National Centre for the Reduction, Refinement, and Replacement of animals in research (NC3Rs) has published a list of guidelines for scientists to follow when reporting the results of research involving animals.
UK Bioscience Sector outlines principles for implementing new Directive
UK Bioscience Sector outlines principles for implementing new Directive

The UK Bioscience Sector has produced a set of principles for the implementation and transposition of the revised EU Directive concerning the use of animals in research.
European public opinion divided
European public opinion divided

The European Commission has published a survey on the public's opinion of science and technology.
Rats breathe using lab lungs
Rats breathe using lab lungs

For the first time rats have been able to breathe using lab grown lungs, a new study reports.
What R you watching? An interactive resource for schools
What R you watching? An interactive resource for schools

What R you watching? our latest online interactive educational resource, is now live on the UAR site.
A guide for UK institutions on the new EU Directive
A guide for UK institutions on the new EU Directive

The revised European Directive on animal research (EU8869/10) should be formally 'adopted' in Europe during summer 2010.
Weakened virus makes better vaccine
Weakened virus makes better vaccine

Rewriting the genetic code of the flu virus has helped to produce a stronger immune response, studies on mice have shown.
Gut bacteria may trigger arthritis
Gut bacteria may trigger arthritis

A novel study has uncovered a link between stomach bacteria and the development of rheumatoid arthritis in mice.
Painkiller from sea snail venom
Painkiller from sea snail venom

A new painkiller is 100 times more potent than other painkillers, tests on rats have revealed.
Liver grafts grown in the lab
Liver grafts grown in the lab

Scientists are a step closer to producing artificial livers after successfully producing a rat liver graft from stem cells.
Plastic antibodies attack bee stings
Plastic antibodies attack bee stings

Immune system molecules made from plastic have functioned successfully in the first tests involving mice.
UK government minister to discuss animal research policy
UK government minister to discuss animal research policy

The Home Office minister with responsibility for animal research, Lynne Featherstone, has agreed to meet the bioscience sector to discuss policy issues.
Canine cancer consortium
Canine cancer consortium

Two organisations have joined together to further research into canine cancer.
Extra chromosome protects against cancer
Extra chromosome protects against cancer

An extra copy of chromosome 21 may boost protection against cancer, research on mice suggests.
Scar tissue process revealed
Scar tissue process revealed

Research on mice has revealed the process which limits the accumulation of excessive scar tissue.
The ultimate mouse gene study
The ultimate mouse gene study

A global effort announced recently could lead to the ultimate mouse model of human disease. The International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC) aims to explain and share the functions of genes in mice.
The Marks & Spencer bunnies
The Marks & Spencer bunnies

Some may have seen the full page advert by the retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S), with pictures of rabbits, proclaiming its commitment not to test cosmetics or household products on animals.
The Animal Protection Party and the UK General Election
The Animal Protection Party and the UK General Election

Just over a month has passed since the 2010 General Elections and the resulting Coalition government is beginning to outline their new policies.
Tremors caused by spinal malfunction
Tremors caused by spinal malfunction

The mechanism which causes severe tremors in people with Parkinson's disease could be controlled through the spine, research on monkeys suggests.
RSPCA and LASA produce new guidelines
RSPCA and LASA produce new guidelines

Ethical Review Process (ERP) bodies within animal research institutions now have the tools to "develop more efficient and effective processes".
Mystery of lithium action solved
Mystery of lithium action solved

The mechanism by which lithium works to reduce inflammation in the brain has been discovered in a study on rats.
New grants for science teachers
New grants for science teachers

No understanding of how science works is complete without some knowledge of the way we use research animals.
Stem cell hope for deafness
Stem cell hope for deafness

Growing hair cells from stem cells could offer personalised treatments for deafness in the future, scientists studying mice suggest.
Dogs knees hold sporting injury clue
Dogs knees hold sporting injury clue

Canine genetics may be able to explain why both humans and dogs develop ligament injuries.
New treatment targets source of asthma
New treatment targets source of asthma

Lowering the production of specific immune cells could prevent asthma attacks, research on mice shows.
Council agrees stricter rules for animal experimentation
Council agrees stricter rules for animal experimentation

The European Council of Ministers has announced agreement on the draft Directive for the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes.
Pigs are a new ideal model for cystic fibrosis
Pigs are a new ideal model for cystic fibrosis

The cause of cystic fibrosis (CF) is becoming clearer after scientists used pigs as models instead of mice.
First trials for stem cell transplant into human spine
First trials for stem cell transplant into human spine

Stem cells have been injected into the human spine in a pioneering trial to test the safety of the technique, with the hope of treating a debilitating neurodegenerative condition.
Broccoli chemical kills cancer cells
Broccoli chemical kills cancer cells

A chemical in broccoli can kill breast cancer cells and halt tumour growth, accroding to new research on mice.
Hormone injection fights bone death
Hormone injection fights bone death

Bone death, a side effect of steroid medication, could be prevented according to new studies using rabbits.
Chilli-like chemical part of the pain pathway
Chilli-like chemical part of the pain pathway

A group of substances similar to those that give chillies their kick are part of the body's pain mechanism, research on mice has shown.
Study points to new cell culprit for epilepsy
Study points to new cell culprit for epilepsy

In the past, research on epilepsy has focused on nerve cells, or neurons.
Artificial skin graft success
Artificial skin graft success

Artificial human skin developed in the laboratory has been successfully grafted onto mice.
Parties outline their stances on animal research
Parties outline their stances on animal research

As the election manifestos from the political parties have been published, we have been having a look to see what they have to say about animal research.
Tribunal rules in favour of UK University in FOI case
Tribunal rules in favour of UK University in FOI case

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request made nearly three years ago has reached its conclusion, at least for now, with a ruling by the Information Tribunal.
Antifungal drug reduces tumour size
Antifungal drug reduces tumour size

A medicine currently used to treat fungal infections successfully slows tumour growth in mice, according to new research.
Duck gene helps fight flu in chickens
Duck gene helps fight flu in chickens

Influenza protection can be transferred across species, say scientists who have identified a key gene in ducks.
Fat-free proteins kill tropical disease bug
Fat-free proteins kill tropical disease bug

Parasites which cause sleeping sickness can be killed by altering the proteins that they are dependent on, studies on mice show.
Agreement on European regulation
Agreement on European regulation

The European Parliament and Council representatives have reached an agreement on the final details of the revisions made to Directive 86/609/EEC on animal experimentation.
Enzymes are target for lung cancer treatment
Enzymes are target for lung cancer treatment

‘Switching off' certain enzymes helps reduce tumours in mice, research has shown.
Synthetic ‘organ' helps stop gout
Synthetic ‘organ' helps stop gout

A plastic capsule implanted under the skin could help regulate metabolic processes, a study on mice has revealed.
RSPCA and GCSE science
RSPCA and GCSE science

The RSPCA's latest foray into schools education is a smart new web resource for GCSE science with a substantial chunk dedicated to exploring the ethics of animal research.
3Rs in front of the camera
3Rs in front of the camera

If there is one thing that anti-vivisection campaigns are good at, it's providing vivid imagery.
Retrial for animal rights activist?
Retrial for animal rights activist?

An animal rights activist who was jailed last year for a firebombing plot against Oxford University in 2006 faces a retrial.
Walnuts to fight prostate cancer
Walnuts to fight prostate cancer

Eating walnuts as part of a balanced diet may reduce the size and growth of prostate tumours, a study on mice has shown.
Glaucoma begins with brain nerve deterioration
Glaucoma begins with brain nerve deterioration

Damaged nerves in the brain are the cause of the eye disease glaucoma, rather than damage to the eye itself as was previously thought. This recent finding was the outcome of research using mice.
Faster repair for damaged bones
Faster repair for damaged bones

Stem cells can help repair severely damaged bones quickly, studies on sheep and humans have revealed.
Absent gene heals mice without scarring
Absent gene heals mice without scarring

Mice lacking the p21 gene can be healed scar free, a study has shown.
Mice vote Green
Mice vote Green

Simon Jenkins, writing in The Guardian on Friday, asserted that giving animals rights leads to moral chaos. His piece, both amusing and serious, alludes to a recent bit of fun in the pro-hunting magazine, Country Life, which speculates about which political party different animals would vote for.
Tapeworm vaccine helps pigs and humans
Tapeworm vaccine helps pigs and humans

A new vaccine successfully blocks tapeworm infection in pigs, helping to break the cycle of infection between pigs and humans.
FoI and lessons for records management
FoI and lessons for records management

Freedom of Information (FoI) requests have recently been in the news, as many UK Universities have received a request for information from Luke Steele, an animal rights activist based in Yorkshire.
UK public attitudes - not much change
UK public attitudes - not much change

Public opinion research released this week shows that public attitudes to animal research haven't changed much in the UK over the last few years.
Mouse model develops human liver
Mouse model develops human liver

Mice could be more useful in the study of hepatitis than previously thought, as research into the possibility of growing a human liver in a mouse has proven successful.
This little piggy
This little piggy

There are some strange animal-related things happening in Europe, but sometimes sense can prevail.
New cause of diabetes revealed
New cause of diabetes revealed

Pig models are becoming increasingly important in medical research into the causes of diseases, and have now shed new light on the causes of diabetes.
TB and leprosy resistance gene link
TB and leprosy resistance gene link

A new gene variant that increases resistance to diseases such as tuberculosis (TB) and leprosy, has been identified from studies on zebrafish and humans.
Stomach hormone helps reduce liver damage
Stomach hormone helps reduce liver damage

A hormone found in the stomach reduces inflammation and could ease liver diseases such as cirrhosis, research on rats has revealed.
HIV vaccine ready for human trials
HIV vaccine ready for human trials

Using a deactivated form of HIV as a vaccine may be the best new treatment for fighting the HIV virus, concluded scientists after studying primate responses to the treatment.
Extraordinary Animals
Extraordinary Animals

Tomorrow the film Extraordinary Measures will be released in UK cinemas.
Handy information about animal research
Handy information about animal research

Six new leaflets have been published by Understanding Animal Research, providing an overview of aspects of animal research
Brain development timing crucial for Fragile X
Brain development timing crucial for Fragile X

Slower brain development may be the reason some children reject all physical affection, research on mice has shown.
Dialogue is key?
Dialogue is key?

In a febrile atmosphere, a 'panel discussion' took place on a Californian campus earlier this week between antivivisectionists and research advocates
Gene linked to premenstrual disorder
Gene linked to premenstrual disorder

Premenstrual disorder may be linked to a specific gene, research on mice has shown.
Anaesthetic stops pain not movement
Anaesthetic stops pain not movement

A novel anaesthetic that can stop pain yet allows patients to retain movement has been discovered through a study using rats.
House of Lords debate revision of EU regulations
House of Lords debate revision of EU regulations

On Wednesday, the House of Lords ‘took note' of a committee report into the revision of the EU Directive on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes
Mystery of Valium addiction revealed
Mystery of Valium addiction revealed

Drugs such as Valium and Xanax could be redesigned after a study on mice has revealed the mechanism which makes them addictive.
Osteoporosis 'pill' success
Osteoporosis 'pill' success

Taking a special ‘bone pill' could be the key to healing brittle bones, research on mice has shown.
Effects of ageing in mice reversed using blood
Effects of ageing in mice reversed using blood

Old mice have had their bone marrow rejuvenated after receiving blood supplies from younger mice, a new study has revealed.
Review of research regulations
Review of research regulations

This month has seen publication of the long-awaited Hampton Implementation Review Report for the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Division and Inspectorate.
Anti-depressant successful on stressed rats
Anti-depressant successful on stressed rats

Symptoms of depression caused by an inflammatory response could be alleviated by a new treatment, a study on rats has shown.
Skin cells to brain cells for better treatments
Skin cells to brain cells for better treatments

Skin cells have been transformed directly into functioning brain cells for the first time in a new study using mice.
Public opinion polling: what is it for?
Public opinion polling: what is it for?

A paper in the January 2010 Journal of Biomedical Ethics gives an interesting insight into the use of public opinion polls by all sides in the UK animal research debate.
BUAV student guide economical with the truth
BUAV student guide economical with the truth

What is wrong with animal experiments? asks BUAV's new ‘guide for students' and it is a question worth asking.
Bad design or bad reporting?
Bad design or bad reporting?

Critiques of animal research usually focus on issues such as the need for the study, the number of animals used, and how they are treated.
Pregnancy malaria risk shows need for research
Pregnancy malaria risk shows need for research

A new study which estimates that approximately 60% of global pregnancies are at risk from malaria will highlight the need for continued research into treatments for the disease.
Exercise boosts brain power
Exercise boosts brain power

Running a few days a week can stimulate the brain to grow new cells, research on mice has revealed.
Zebrafish are good models for human disease
Zebrafish are good models for human disease

Recent studies show zebrafish to be a useful animal model in studying mental illness and neurological diseases.
Eyes and sense of smell could act as indicators of Alzheimer's
Eyes and sense of smell could act as indicators of Alzheimer's

Examining patients eye cells and ability to smell may help detect Alzheimer's disease earlier on, research on mice suggests.
Sharing the pie: new animal numbers activity for schools
Sharing the pie: new animal numbers activity for schools

How much do you know about which animals are used most in medical research and which are used least? Sharing the Pie, the latest addition to the Learning Centre's suite of activities for schools, is a fun way to find out.
New drug reverses effects of stroke
New drug reverses effects of stroke

Stroke victims could regain near complete restoration of movement thanks to a new drug, research on rats has shown.
Potential cause of migraine identified
Potential cause of migraine identified

Rays of light act as a potential trigger for migraine attacks, a study on rats has found.
Science and the media – a call to action
Science and the media – a call to action

Act now to safeguard improvements in science reporting – that is the message to the scientific community and government in the UK from a new strategic report published today.
Double bill in The Times for animal research
Double bill in The Times for animal research

Most recently the Sunday Times cover piece last weekend took an in depth look at what goes on in animal labs in the UK, and the issues behind the research.
Radiation benefits for Alzheimer's mice
Radiation benefits for Alzheimer's mice

Mobile phone radiation has been found to decrease the severity of Alzheimer's disease in mice, according to new research.
Leukaemia vaccine ready for patients
Leukaemia vaccine ready for patients

A new vaccine which successfully treated mice with leukaemia will undergo the first human trials this year.
Pork products aid foetal mouse brain development
Pork products aid foetal mouse brain development

Eating pork that contains a micronutrient could help a growing brain develop, according to a recent study on mice.
Gel may help heart disease patients
Gel may help heart disease patients

A gel made of compounds found naturally in the body could be used to grow new blood vessels, research on rats has shown.
Gene therapy eases breathing problems
Gene therapy eases breathing problems

Delivering genes to specific cells which cause the lung disease emphysema could be key to alleviating breathing difficulties, research on mice suggests.
Rabies vaccine protects monkeys against HIV
Rabies vaccine protects monkeys against HIV

A vaccine based on the one used to prevent rabies can be used to protect against the monkey form of HIV (SIV), a new study has found.
Artificial blood cells help clotting
Artificial blood cells help clotting

Patients who are unable to form blood clots could be aided by a newly designed blood cell, research on rats has found.
Childhood diabetes, food sweetener link
Childhood diabetes, food sweetener link

A new study has shown that the food sweetener fructose can cause dangerous body fat deposits and trigger diabetes and heart disease in humans.
Abnormal body clock linked to heart disease
Abnormal body clock linked to heart disease

High blood pressure may be linked to disruptions in the circadian body clocks, a study on mice suggests.
Loneliness linked to cancer in rats
Loneliness linked to cancer in rats

Loneliness and stress are more likely to cause breast cancer, a study using rats suggests.
Great blog, but sadly anonymous
Great blog, but sadly anonymous

Here in the Understanding Animal Research office we were delighted to read this well written and interesting blog titled ‘Why we experiment on animals' on the Times newspapers new science site Eureka Zone.
Novel treatment to tackle Hepatitis C
Novel treatment to tackle Hepatitis C

Targeting host molecules instead of the virus has proved successful in killing the Hepatitis C virus (HCV), research on chimpanzees has found.
Missing link found in foetal heart failure
Missing link found in foetal heart failure

The inability to form a blood clot in a foetal blood vessel has been linked to heart failure in newborns, a study using mice has discovered.
Stem cell therapy restores vision in rats
Stem cell therapy restores vision in rats

Vision in blind rats has been restored by a UK team in collaboration with international scientists.
New virus helps combat brain tumours
New virus helps combat brain tumours

Aggressive brain tumours can be killed and prevented from recurring using a virus, a new study using mice has found.
Stomach hormone protects against Parkinson’s disease
Stomach hormone protects against Parkinson’s disease

A study involving mice has revealed that a hormone originating in the stomach has a new use in boosting resistance to Parkinson's disease.
Cancer vaccine implant success in mice
Cancer vaccine implant success in mice

A cancer ‘vaccine' which can be implanted under the skin and instructs the body to attack tumour cells has proved successful in experiments with mice.
Blood transfusion between animals - one of science's oldest iconic papers now online
Blood transfusion between animals - one of science's oldest iconic papers now online

The new Trailblazing scheme from the Royal Society sheds light on some of the most iconic scientific discoveries of all time, and allows users to access digitised versions of these iconic scientific papers.
Why a little bit of dirt never harmed anyone
Why a little bit of dirt never harmed anyone

‘Friendly' bacteria living on the skin can be beneficial to our health, according to new research using mice and human cells.
Ten years old and nothing gained
Ten years old and nothing gained

The animal rights extremist group SHAC is 10 years old this month. But the activists who fly this flag have nothing to celebrate.
Will we hear the sound of music again?
Will we hear the sound of music again?

Julie Andrews, the star of musicals Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music has announced she will return to the London stage next year after more than 30 years.
Better understanding of need for new brain cells
Better understanding of need for new brain cells

Scientists know that the adult brain continues to create new nerve cells (neurons), but the reason why this happens is poorly understood.
Artificial skin from stem cells for fast burn treatment
Artificial skin from stem cells for fast burn treatment

Sheets of 'substitute skin' from human embryonic stem cells have been grafted onto mice in the laboratory.
Biomatrix may allow tumour testing without mice
Biomatrix may allow tumour testing without mice

Mice are used widely in the study of cancer and to test the clinical efficiency and safety of anti-cancer therapies.
New MS treatment for spinal cord injury?
New MS treatment for spinal cord injury?

Researchers have made a step forward in treating nerve cells damaged in spinal cord injuries, using guinea pig tissues.
Unlimited supply of rare cells produced in the lab
Unlimited supply of rare cells produced in the lab

A new method to treat arthritis has proven successful in mice, and holds strong hopes for treating other autoimmune disorders.
Rock band unleashes violence tirade at UK gig