We don’t want to make mice better but people
The transition away from animal testing is for the time being a predominantly silent revolution, but alternatives based on human tissues and mini-organs offer the prospect of acceleration. “This is not only much more relevant for patients,” says Christine Mummery from the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), “But it is also faster and cheaper in […]
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New online database to improve environmental risk assessment of chemicals and avoid animal testing
The EnviroTox database is an international project, led by the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute and involving the JRC. This public database of ecotoxicological data brings together more than 91,000 curated records for more than 4000 chemicals across 1500 species. The case study published by Connors et al. demonstrated that eco-TTC values can facilitate a […]
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Human iPSC-derived heart-on-a-chip technology for early drug discovery and development
A human iPSC-derived heart-on-a-chip technology can directly measure in vivo cardiac performance and it can be used to assess the effects of novel compounds on contractility early in the drug discovery and development process. HUMAN HEALTH ISSUE Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide (Benjamin et al., 2018). Patients with […]
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EU citizens and industry expect ‘big reduction’ in mandatory animal testing
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the Joint Research Centre scientists have a key role to play in meeting the demand of EU citizens and industry, who want to see a big reduction in mandatory animal testing via new methodologies, Dr Julia Fentem told EURACTIV in an interview. EURACTIV SPECIAL REPORT ON ALTERNATIVES TO ANIMAL […]
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Green MEP Tilly Metz calls for EU action plan on alternatives to animal testing
All initiatives to promote alternatives to animal testing are welcome, but lawmakers should be bolder and impose some mandatory measures as well, Luxembourgish MEP Tilly Metz has said. EURACTIV SPECIAL REPORT According to the Green MEP, policymakers must not give up their ambition of making the “3 Rs” approach to animal testing mandatory. The “3 […]
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The potential of organoids and kidney-on-a-chip platforms as better predictive models for drug-induced nephrotoxicity
A new review from scientists at the University of Utrecht considers how the complex nature of the kidney complicates in vitro modeling & suggests where 3D culture & organoid advances can be used to develop better predictive models that could reduce drug-induced nephrotoxicity. HUMAN HEALTH ISSUE The kidneys play an essential role in preserving homeostasis […]
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Mice brains are too different from humans’ to model neurodevelopmental disorders
Most knowledge about how the development of the cerebellum – the brain area that receives and coordinates sensory information and our physical responses to it – comes from mice. A new study offers an explanation as to why brain studies in mice might fail to translate to humans. According to the scientists it is now […]
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Human liver-on-a-chip predicts human toxicity better than animal studies
A new organ-on-a-chip system can predict human toxicity that was undetected in animal studies for drugs halted in clinical trials and emphasizes species-specific responses in liver toxicity. HUMAN HEALTH ISSUE Rats, dogs and other animals are used to test whether drugs are toxic to humans before the drugs are given to people. Candidate drug testing […]
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Time to move beyond the 3R principles
This recently published study says the time has now come to prioritise the Replacement of animals used for scientific purposes, over refinement and reduction strategies. The 21st Century has already seen the development of a wide range of non-animal methods incorporating complex cell cultures, organs-on-a-chip and computer modelling. These methods are more relevant to human […]
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Book review: Rigor mortis
Scientific research should not be attached to particular dogmas or paradigms but, on the contrary, change its methods according to the results obtained. In his book “Rigor Mortis”, the science journalist Richard Harris denounces the cost -financial and human- of a botched science, too often stuck in “animal models”. As an experienced science journalist, Richard […]
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