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Using mainly male mice in drug trials can be problem for women health.
Why do possible drugs fail to make it to the chemist?
How we made our 360 degree lab tours
A human common cold can be lethal to a chimp
Some highlights from a decade of research with mice
Immunotherapy, mice and treatment
A subjective review of the years animal research stories
Badger cull, sea-lion deaths, psoriasis treatment
The National Cancer Research Institute Conference discussed models for breast cancer research.
Lead poisoned birds, treatment for arthritis
The Laboratory Rat - A Natural History
Mainly conservation this week
Zebrafish showed 3D printer polymers are toxic
Scorpions, kangaroos and more
Surprising historical links between the suffragette movement and animal rights activism
Housing and husbandry of dogs
Elephants rarely get cancer
The 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been jointly won by Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich and Aziz Sancar for “mechanistic studies of DNA repair".
Won by William C Campbell, Satoshi Ōmura and Youyou Tu.
Good first year for the Concordat on Openness
Three cancers, two dementias and xenotransplants
The Safer Medicines campaign contains flawed arguments
Advice from our recent workshop
Ballan wrasse control salmon lice
Key news from the week
British MPs voted in favour of 3 person IVF
by Theodore Roethke
On Saturday 1st June 2013, Pro-Test Italia held a rally in support of the important role that animals play in biomedical research.
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.
A new statistic is doing the rounds in the animal rights camps.
This year’s Dementia Awareness Week is themed around talking, with the message that “Worrying changes nothing.
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.
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.
UAR has produced a new briefing sheet on deafness and hearing loss as a contribution to Deaf Awareness Week (6th May - 12th May 2013).
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.
Experiments in mice have identified a hormone that could stop and even reverse the onset of diabetes.
The possibility of eternal youth is guaranteed to get coverage and all the broadsheets covered this Nature story this week.
World-leading scientists will be sharing their knowledge and latest discoveries in pubs across London, Oxford and Cambridge from Tuesday 14th - Thursday 16th May.
The annual Corporate Responsibility Reporting Awards were handed out at the Royal Society earlier this week.
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.
This World Malaria Day, April 25th, we need to remember the global significance of this life-threatening disease.
Hilary Koprowski, the scientist who developed the first live-virus polio vaccine, has died at the age of 96.
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.
Around the turn of the 20th Century, two surgeons named Emerich Ullman and Alexis Carrel placed the kidney of goat into a dog.
An animal facility at the University of Milan, Italy, was occupied on Saturday 20 April by Fermare Green Hill.
We have several stories which very clearly illustrate the potential medical benefits of research this week.
Robert Edwards, the Nobel Prize winning developer of in vitro fertilisation, has died at the age of 87.
Dolly is probably the most famous animal ever to take part in a scientific experiment.
Researchers studying mice have discovered that brain cells may break their own DNA to form new memories.
An experimental compound has proved highly effective at preventing malaria in laboratory tests using mice.
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.
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 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.
An additive used in anti-cancer vaccines is stopping them working properly, research in mice suggests.
Research using genetically modified mice has given scientists a unique insight into the molecular cause of an incurable human cancer.
Animal rights activists have created an exaggerated impression of their movement by their use of social and other media channels.
Scientists working with both mice and people have found that painkillers could actually hinder the body’s recovery after a heart attack.
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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.
A common form of blindness has been successfully treated in dogs using gene therapy.
Scientists have developed nanoparticles that boost the effectiveness of vaccines in mice by mimicking part of the natural immune response.
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.
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...
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.
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.
New research suggests that understanding provided by parasitic worms could be used to treat serious lung injury caused by infections.
Scientists have found that omega-3 fatty acids can help speed up recovery from nerve damage.
Before January 1922, a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes was in effect a death sentence; many died of starvation.
Scientists have developed a new strategy for fighting infectious diseases.
Scientists have uncovered the secret behind the rapid progression of retinoblastoma, a rare type of childhood eye cancer.
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.
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.
Scientists have identified a gene that, when deleted, causes deafness in mice.
Intricate experiments using mice have allowed scientists to visualise the formation of new brain circuits that form after birth.
A chemical tested in mice, cell cultures and human biopsies has proved highly effective in preventing the growth of tumours.
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.
Scientists have found a way to reverse the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis (MS) in mice.
Scientists have developed a vaccine which protects mice from the Ebola virus and, unlike current vaccines, can be stored for long periods of time.
Researchers have shown that a new compound can significantly reduce the weight of monkeys by destroying blood vessels that feed fatty tissue.
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.
It's 30 years since the first cases of HIV infection. During this time, says the website HIVaware, we've seen rapid change.
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...
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.
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.
A team of scientists have begun to unravel the secrets underlying the long life enjoyed by naked mole rats.
A human blood protein has been produced using genetically modified rice and used to treat liver disease in rats.
Leading animal rights extremists Greg and Natasha Avery were released from prison this week.
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?
An interaction between two proteins has been found to be essential for the development of the most common form of brain cancer.
We award Paul Vallely of the Independent newspaper for his excellent article - Of Mice and Medicine.
Scientists have engineered a human clotting factor into a safe and effective treatment that cured haemophilia in mice.
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.
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).
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'.
Squamous cell skin carcinoma is the second most common skin cancer after melanomas, affecting approximately 10,000 people in the UK each year.
Studies of patient tissue and experiments using mice have linked a specific enzyme to both infertility and miscarriage.
Researchers have shown that they can treat sickle-cell anaemia in mice by switching on a haemoglobin gene usually only active before birth.
The article by Emma James in the latest Wellcome News looks into why zebra fish have become so important in genetics research.
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.
Watch the 'Of Mice and Men' videos to see how GM mice are used to study human disease.
A common cancer treatment has been shown to be more effective and less toxic when administered at more frequent, lower doses.
Members of the House of Lords on Tuesday affirmed their support for 'proper and appropriate' use of animals in medical research.
Our Wedneday Winner today is the NC3Rs for producing a really clear, accessible and comprehensive review of the work it funds.
Scientists have uncovered an intriguing signalling pathway linking cancer and diabetes.
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.
Scientists have found that the growth of Medulloblastoma brain tumour cells in mice can be significantly slowed using existing anti-viral medicines.
Scientists have successfully guided mouse stem cells to become specialised cells that build a protective coat around neurons.
Experiments on mice have identified the missing link that allows the nervous and immune systems to communicate.
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.
Scientists working with mice have identified a molecule that appears to cause the dementia suffered by Alzheimer's patients.
Animal research is vitally important in science and medicine.
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.
Animal Aid is running a campaign against medical charities because some of their funded work involves animals.
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.
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.
Scientists have identified the gene that allows the transmission of chronic pain.
Scientists have trialled a safer way of treating sleeping sickness in mice by modifying an existing medicine.
Mice infected with a genetically modified relative of the tuberculosis bacterium became immune to tuberculosis, a new study has shown.
Scientists have developed a computer model that predicts the effect of anti-arrhythmic medicines on the heart.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A new artificial enzyme(SRT1720) has been found to increase the lifespan of obese mice.
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.
Tissue grown from stem cells taken from patients' ears could be used in facial reconstructions, tests in mice have shown.
Rates of diabetes have doubled in the last 30 years and doctors say rising levels of obesity are the main contributing factor.
The hippocampus creates new neurones throughout our lives - so what happens if you bring "the hippocampus's production line to a screeching halt?"
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.
The animal rights group Animal Aid launched an ill-informed, illogical and ill-conceived campaign against medical research charities a few weeks ago.
In the UK around 1 in 10 men are infertile, often because of low sperm counts.
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.
Researchers have identified a new chemical (STF-31) that selectively kills kidney cancer cells by blocking their glucose supply.
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.
When people stagger after drinking too much ethanol has caused reversible ataxia – a loss of muscular co-ordination.
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).
Research on mice has shown that uninterrupted sleep is vital for memory consolidation.
This month’s awaited pledge by the coalition government to end household product testing on animals has been welcomed by the UK research community.
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.
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.
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.
What are 'animals containing human material' (ACHM) and why the sudden interest in them?
A few weeks ago it was announced that researchers have created genome-wide, high-resolution genetic maps of 100 inbred mouse strains.
To better study the breakdown and toxicity of new medicines in a human liver, scientists have created what has been named a ‘humanised mouse'.
A study using mice has led scientists one step closer to developing a vaccine against the most common cause of bacterial meningitis, Meningococcus B.
The UK Home Office this morning agreed arrangements to deliver two Coalition commitments relating to the use of animals in scientific research
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.
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.
Brain cancers caused by malignant gliomas account for around 3,000 deaths in the UK each year.
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.
Salmonella poisoning typically causes diarrhoea.
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.
'The question is not can they reason nor can they talk, but rather can they suffer?' Jeremy Bentham
Leading research organisations have responded to misleading claims made by an antivivisection group in its recent letter to the Lancet.
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.
About one in 30,000 boys are born with a defective gene that causes haemophilia B.
The UAR SchoolZone is a brand new part of our site dedicated to school age students and their teachers.
In this film we hear from Chloe, who has diabetes, and Dr Aileen King, who researches into diabetes.
'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.
A vaccine containing a broad spectrum of tumour antigens delivered in a virus vector successfully treated 8 out of 10 mice with prostate cancer.
The animal rights group Animal Aid has launched a campaign against medical research charities who fund animal research.
An apple a day really does keep the doctor away according to a new study in mice.
New animal research regulations from Europe will enhance the welfare of animals, facilitate modern science and cut through excessive red tape.
Researchers working on treatments for the brain disorder Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) may have found a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
Human hearts cannot repair themselves after a heart attack damages heart muscle.
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.
Macaques, like humans, are not indigenous to the island of Mauritius, isolated as it is in the Indian ocean.
Leukaemia causing stem cells have been eliminated in mice by suppressing two proteins.
A novel ‘Trojan horse' method of treating brain cancer has increased the survival time of mice by one half.
Animal rights protestors are targeting the beagle breeding company B&K Universal's plans for modernisation of their site in Grimston.
Some breast cancers do not respond to currently available chemotherapy.
This months Wednesday Winner website (#WW) is Rodent Respect. The site was created for scientists who work with rodents, especially students.
It is often said that the only way to really learn anything is to do it yourself.
Armadillos can infect humans with leprosy, according to a new study comparing the disease in US patients and armadillos.
Scientists have identified a protein that suppresses skin cancer in mice.
The story of Thomas Beecham, founder of the company that went on to become part of Glaxo SmithKline, is quite extraordinary.
A mouse model of the human immune system has been validated by replicating the results of a recent human HIV clinical trial.
Prostate tumours have been in reduced in mice using a medicine originally designed to treat obesity.
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.
The ban on a veterinary medicine which caused an unprecedented decline in Asian vulture populations has shown the first signs of progress.
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.
A vaccine has been developed that protects monkeys from Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV), the monkey equivalent of HIV.
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.
A new study may explain why our brains produce fewer new neurons with age.
Stress can cause depressive illness in humans and has visible effects on mice such as failure to groom and weight loss.
About 100 boys are born with muscular dystrophies every year in the UK.
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.
Work with mice has shown that the elevated levels of nitric oxide produced during exercise protect the heart from injury during a heart attack.
Chemical safety in Europe is regulated in part by REACH*.
In Elizabethan times smallpox killed more people than TB, leprosy, plague and syphilis combined.
GM mice have helped identify a key enzyme responsible for destroying lung tissue in tuberculosis (TB).
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 and other anti-inflammatory medicines taken for pain relief may reduce the effectiveness of antidepressants such as Prozac.
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? That was the question posed by Christie Wilcox for a guest blog in Scientific American.
Scientists have identified a genetic change that makes lung tumours more likely to spread to other parts of the body.
Heart attacks and strokes could be prevented using a new method of blood vessel regeneration, according to research on mice.
A new computer model of rats' whiskers is helping scientists understand how rats process the sense of touch.
Scientists have created a new method to temporarily turn off the function of genes in mice.
Scientists have discovered how stress contributes to memory loss in old rats.
Recent research on public attitudes to animal experimentation has been published on the Ipsos MORI website.
From our archive - this video about the care of laboratory animals was produced by the Biomedical Research Trust in 2003.
Mouse retinas have been grown in the lab using embryonic stem cells.
Scientists have discovered a mechanism linking type-2 diabetes to obesity.
New treatments for chronic wounds could be developed following the discovery of stem cells that repair damaged skin tissue.
We've awarded our first Wednesday award to The MRC Centre for Developmental and Biomedical Genetics for their Fish for Science website.
Scientists have identified three types of gene mutation that lead to acute myeloid leukaemia.
The discovery of a gene linked to skin cancer in zebrafish could lead to new treatments for the disease.
We are starting our very own webby awards, which we are calling Wednesday Winners (#WW).
Laurie Pycroft, who founded Pro-Test five years ago, was profiled in The Independent Education section today.
The European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) has launched a £450,000 research project into finding non-animal methods of toxicity testing.
The process of nerve cell degeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS) can be reversed, according to new research in mice.
Research on GM mice has found how mutations in a single protein can lead to autism.
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.
'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.
A GM pig that gets cystic fibrosis is helping scientists understand the causes of the disease.
Treatments for infertility in men could come from success in growing mouse sperm.
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.
Scientists have developed a mini brain-scanner that allows them to study brain function and behaviour simultaneously in rats.
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.
Scientists have created a mouse model of the most common type of paediatric brain cancer.
Poor diet during pregnancy could raise the risk of offspring developing diabetes, according to new research in rats.
New research suggests macaques experience self-doubt and uncertainty when making decisions.
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.
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.
Newborn mice can regenerate their own heart tissue following heart damage.
Scientists have created the first mouse model of a deadly form of childhood brain cancer.
Regular endurance exercise reduces the effects of ageing, according to new research on mice.
Artificial blood vessels for use in heart bypass surgery have been successfully tested in baboons and dogs.
Research on bears has extended our understanding of large mammal hibernation.
The spread of cancer to other organs has been reduced in mice by blocking an enzyme.
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.
Artificial ‘scaffolding' has been used to bridge spinal cord injuries in rats.
Type 1 diabetes has been treated in GM mice using antibodies.
Certain types of cancer could be triggered by simple wounds, according to new research on mice.
Why have we got a QR code on our site?
Zebrafish are renowned in the science community for their ability to repair damage to heart muscle.
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.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has been linked to the lack of a protective enzyme in the retina.
Scientists have developed a way to make nerves glow in mice.
Scientists have used a hormone to completely remove a HIV like virus from mice.
Scientists have identified a protein that tumours make when they are likely to spread.
The cancer medicine Taxol has been used to treat spinal injury in rats.
Bacteria in the gut acquired early in life could affect future brain development and behaviour, according to new research on mice.
A hormone has been found that boosts the memory of an unpleasant experience in rats.
Mice fed a diet lacking in the fatty acid omega-3 are more susceptible to mood disorders, according to new research.
An innovative new instrument has been developed that enables scientists to observe changes deep inside the brains of animals.
Caffeine and painkillers could be the most effective cure for a hangover headache, suggests new research on rats.
An innovative new approach to fighting cancer has reduced tumour size in mice.
Mice can be used to mimic Alzheimer's disease in humans.
A potential RNA based treatment for HIV is showing positive results in tests on mice.
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.
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 are closer to developing a vaccine against the superbug MRSA.
Small strands of RNA, called microRNA, inhibit prostate cancer stem cells in mice.
Zebrafish raised in microgravity, replicating the conditions of space, develop skull defects.
Bird flu epidemics could be prevented by GM chickens that stop the spread of flu to other birds.
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.
Blood platelets produced from embryonic stem cells have been used to repair damaged tissues in mice.
Cocaine immunity has been induced in mice using an altered version of the common cold virus.
Mice have been genetically modified to grow stronger hearts.
Mice are the archetypal laboratory animal.
Scientists have discovered a virus linked to genital cancer in horses.
Nerve cells that are unable to communicate effectively may be responsible for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), according to new research on mice.
Gambian pouched rats are being used by scientists to sniff out tuberculosis in mucus samples.
Scientists have created a mouse that is said to sing like a bird.
Experiments on zebrafish larvae have revealed how cancer cells harness the immune system to quicken the spread of the disease.
Animals have been used to understand the inner workings of the brain since the very beginnings of neuroscience.
Smoking or drinking while pregnant can damage the unborn child.
We are pleased to report that planning permission was granted last week for a new world-leading biomedical research institute in London.
Memory loss has been reversed in Alzheimer's mice by boosting levels of a memory related protein.
Exposure to bacteria or viruses as child could reduce your chances of contracting asthma, according to new research on mice.
A new mouse model of muscular dystrophy has found that stem cells play an important role in this genetic disease.
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.
Light sensing cells (photosensitive ganglion cells) in the eye, which contain the pigment melanopsin, set the body's biological clock.
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.
Confused memories rather than memory loss may be the cause of 'forgetfulness' in dementia patients, according to new research.
Being born in winter could make your long-term biological clock tick slower, according to a new study on mice.
An enzyme responsible for making pain last after nerve injury has been discovered in mice.
More than 50 top scientists working in Germany and Switzerland have launched a new Declaration about animal research.
The Scientist reported on its top ten life-science innovations for 2010 this week.
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.
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.
Premature ageing can be reversed in mice, hinting at the possibility of anti-aging treatments for humans.
The HIV & AIDS page on our partner website AnimalResearch.info has been updated to mark World AIDS Day on 1 December.
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.
The new European Directive 2010/63/EU on animal experimentation has been finalised.
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?
Nerve cells made from a person's own skin suggest a novel way to treat spinal injury.
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.
Depression and anxiety affect a significant proportion of the British population, yet the underlying causes behind these medical disorders remain elusive.
How do we learn to recognise new sensations and distinguish them from those we are already familiar with?
A medicine previously used to treat high blood pressure could now be applied to Alzheimer's disease following tests on GM mice.
A ‘fat gene' has been found to cause overeating in GM mice.
Scientists have found that the onset of labour is controlled by tiny molecules called microRNA.
World Diabetes Day (WDD) is the primary global awareness campaign of the diabetes world.
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.
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 with a brain enzyme inhibitor performed better in memory tests than untreated mice.
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.
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.
The UN has just announced that rinderpest, a virus that used to cause deadly outbreaks in cattle, has been eradicated in the wild.
When the brain is deprived of input from one sense it often compensates with above normal performance in another sense.
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.
For the first time, researchers have discovered a therapy that can treat the invariably lethal terminal stages of cancer in animals.
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.
How do you re-animate paralysed limbs? A new approach being trialled on genetically modified mice uses flashes of light.
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.
New research shows female mice, monkeys and humans appear to metabolise the oestrogen-like chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in similar ways.
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.
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, necessary for colour vision, have been successfully transplanted into blind mice.
Mice with a disabled RGS14 gene are able to remember objects and learn to navigate mazes better than normal mice.
The Tasmanian Devil is at risk of extinction in the wild due to a transmissible cancer passed on when one animal bites another.
Diabetes can cause the death of nerves in the body's extremities, a condition known as diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN).
As a normal mammalian body grows, hundreds of motor neurons grow from the spinal cord to the muscles they will control.
The public broadly supports research on animals containing human material, according to an Ipsos Mori survey of 1,042 people.
Today the European Parliament agreed on the final text of the new Directive concerning the use of animals in research.
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.
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.
An ultimate goal of regenerative medicine is the generation of organs derived from a patient's stem cells.
As women get older the chances of infertility, birth defects and developmental disabilities go up.
Increasing resistance to anti-malarials, such as those based on Artemisinin, have prompted a need for new treatments.
Researchers have successfully used a chemical to reset and restart the natural 24-hour body clock in mice.
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 treated with a therapy that targets specific viral genes survived deadly Ebola and Marbug infections, a new study reports.
The barrier between blood vessels and the brain may no longer limit the delivery of medicines to tumours, research on rats shows.
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.
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.
Scientists have created a ‘knockout rat' that can be used to model certain diseases in the same way as mice.
Capsaicin, a compound found in chilli peppers, has been found to reduce high blood pressure in rats.
For the first time scientists will be able to study the development of human testes in mice.
The body's own cells could be used to aid the repair of joints, a pioneering rabbit study has revealed.
A study on mice suggests that cell suicide may encourage tumours to grow instead of destroying them.
Mouse research has revealed a link between bone remodelling, blood sugar and diabetes.
Are you a school science teacher or a GCSE science student? Don't miss out next year - invite a volunteer speaker into your schoo
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.
A vaccine in the form of a skin patch has proved more effective than a needle in mice.
Some of the symptoms relating to Down syndrome have been linked to two genes on chromosome 21, a study on mice has shown.
Elevated levels of the protein CIB1 causes enlargement of the heart and subsequent heart failure, according to rodent research.
Primitive retinal cells, that were previously thought to have no role in image formation, can help blind mice see.
Armed and tagged immune cells can be watched attacking tumours in mice in real time.
Shining a laser into the brain may ease the symptoms of Parkinson’s, a new study in mice has shown.
A new compound that may reverse Alzheimer’s in humans has proven successful in rats and mice.
Mice with cancer living in enriched environments had smaller tumours, new research has revealed.
A functional artificial lung on a chip, which mimics the behavour of mouse lungs, has been created.
Prostate cancer and hereditary breast cancer could be linked by the same gene, research on mice suggests.
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.
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.
The European Commission has published a survey on the public's opinion of science and technology.
For the first time rats have been able to breathe using lab grown lungs, a new study reports.
What R you watching? our latest online interactive educational resource, is now live on the UAR site.
The revised European Directive on animal research (EU8869/10) should be formally 'adopted' in Europe during summer 2010.
Rewriting the genetic code of the flu virus has helped to produce a stronger immune response, studies on mice have shown.
A novel study has uncovered a link between stomach bacteria and the development of rheumatoid arthritis in mice.
A new painkiller is 100 times more potent than other painkillers, tests on rats have revealed.
Scientists are a step closer to producing artificial livers after successfully producing a rat liver graft from stem cells.
Immune system molecules made from plastic have functioned successfully in the first tests involving mice.
The Home Office minister with responsibility for animal research, Lynne Featherstone, has agreed to meet the bioscience sector to discuss policy issues.
Two organisations have joined together to further research into canine cancer.
An extra copy of chromosome 21 may boost protection against cancer, research on mice suggests.
Research on mice has revealed the process which limits the accumulation of excessive scar tissue.
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.
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.
Just over a month has passed since the 2010 General Elections and the resulting Coalition government is beginning to outline their new policies.
The mechanism which causes severe tremors in people with Parkinson's disease could be controlled through the spine, research on monkeys suggests.
Ethical Review Process (ERP) bodies within animal research institutions now have the tools to "develop more efficient and effective processes".
The mechanism by which lithium works to reduce inflammation in the brain has been discovered in a study on rats.
No understanding of how science works is complete without some knowledge of the way we use research animals.
Growing hair cells from stem cells could offer personalised treatments for deafness in the future, scientists studying mice suggest.
Canine genetics may be able to explain why both humans and dogs develop ligament injuries.
Lowering the production of specific immune cells could prevent asthma attacks, research on mice shows.
The European Council of Ministers has announced agreement on the draft Directive for the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes.
The cause of cystic fibrosis (CF) is becoming clearer after scientists used pigs as models instead of mice.
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.
A chemical in broccoli can kill breast cancer cells and halt tumour growth, accroding to new research on mice.
Bone death, a side effect of steroid medication, could be prevented according to new studies using rabbits.
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.
In the past, research on epilepsy has focused on nerve cells, or neurons.
Artificial human skin developed in the laboratory has been successfully grafted onto mice.
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.
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.
A medicine currently used to treat fungal infections successfully slows tumour growth in mice, according to new research.
Influenza protection can be transferred across species, say scientists who have identified a key gene in ducks.
Parasites which cause sleeping sickness can be killed by altering the proteins that they are dependent on, studies on mice show.
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.
‘Switching off' certain enzymes helps reduce tumours in mice, research has shown.
A plastic capsule implanted under the skin could help regulate metabolic processes, a study on mice has revealed.
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.
If there is one thing that anti-vivisection campaigns are good at, it's providing vivid imagery.
