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Why is their so much secrecy in animal research? Can't we do without animals in medical research? In this video Dr Simon Festing, our ex-Chief Executive, answers questions about why animals are an essential part of medical work. Download this film here: http://ww

A century of medical advances in a minute of video. See our time-lines for more detail: http://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/why/timeline/ and http://animalresearch.info/en/medical-advances/timeline/

We aim to provide all you want to know about animal research, whether you are a concerned member of the public or have a special interest. If you are a teacher, student, scientist, policy maker or a journalist, select one of the tabs above to find the content of particular interest to you.

Naked mole rats are hairless, blind, underground dwellers that are remarkably impervious to cancer. But why you ask? Well, researchers at the University of Rochester asked that same question and it turns out a cluster of genes, called the INK4 locus, is the answer. This locus, also found in humans and mice, uses that cluster to carry instructions, or encode, for several cancer fighting proteins.

Scientists once shied away from naming research animals, and many of the millions of mice and rats used in U.S. research today go nameless, except for special individuals. But a look at ​many facilities suggests that most of the ​other ​891,161 ​U.S. ​research animals ​have proper names​, including nonhuman primates, dogs, pigs, rabbits, cats, and sheep​.

Over a million people in the United States have some form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease or IBD. It can be caused by intestinal bacteria, environment or genetics. One thing is for sure, the lining of the intestines don't work correctly because the cells have been disturbed by one of these things. A common finding in Crohn's and IBD is that a molecule called TNF is elevated, and starts the inflammation process. Researchers still don't know what signals the TNF to go up, but maybe they can turn it off with another molecule.

New ways of visualizing scientific and medical data and concepts can enhance discovery and learning. The NIH 3D Print Exchange provides access to a community-contributed database of bioscientific 3D-printable files. Download a model and print it with your own 3D printer or through a 3D print service provider.

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https://www.dropbox.com/static/images/icons128/folder_dropbox.png

So how do animals play a role in this research? Well, in a couple of ways. First, the chlorotoxin in Tumor Paint was derived from scorpion venom. Second, researchers worked with dogs before moving into human trials to determine the likelihood of success. After promising results in canines, human trials are now underway at Cedars Sinai Medical Center! Right now, the study is aimed at proving that Tumor Paint is able to reach the brain tumor successfully. If all goes well, it's possible that this could lead to more successful surgical outcomes.

Dr. Carolyn Henry, a veterinary oncologist at the University of Missouri veterinary school, says that, unlike lab mice, dogs get cancer naturally, just like humans. So their cancers are more likely to behave like human cancer when treated. "It's the same disease, it really doesn't matter what the species is," Henry says. "It's the same disease if it occurs naturally. And so, answers in one species should translate to answers in other species in many cases."

Recently, in an article in the New Republic, 'The Animals That Can Save Your Life', journalist Emma Young introduces readers to the emerging science of training animals to detect things humans cannot.

Scientists work with animal models to better understand type 2 diabetes to treat the disease. They have developed specialized animal models that mimic the condition.  One line of mice, known as KK mice, develop obesity and glucose intolerance that lead to type 2 diabetes. Another rodent model, the Zucker diabetic fatty rat, is bred to be a precise model of human type 2 diabetes.

This 22 min video provides insight into the benefits of bioscience research and the important role laboratory animals play in the scientific process. It introduces viewers to four people age 55 and older who have benefited from medical advances made possible by years of animal-based research. Viewers also meet four scientists who are helping make these advances a reality

The following pages contain a wide range of resources for secondary science teachers to use in their classroom. The majority of these lessons have been created through CPET programs by teachers and graduate students, but also lessons used by CPET during the programs as well as best practices that teachers have contributed to our collection.