Rats are essential models in research, aiding studies in physiology, immunology, pharmacology, nutrition, behavior, and learning, leading to medical advancements in obesity, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular, neurological, and immune-related diseases.
Zebrafish, sharing 70% of human genetics and having externally fertilized transparent embryos, serve as invaluable models for studying gene function and genetic diseases like Duchenne muscular dystrophy, aiding in drug development.
Xenopus frogs, pivotal in vertebrate embryology, cell biology, genomics, and disease research, aid in understanding embryonic development, environmental adaptation, and the causes of diseases and birth defects.
Rabbits, instrumental in developing the rabies vaccine, paved the way for pets in households. Their anatomical and physiological resemblance to humans aids research in cancer, glaucoma, infections, diabetes, and emphysema.
Ferrets, sharing anatomical and physiological traits with humans, are pivotal in research for various diseases like peptic ulcers, cystic fibrosis, and influenza, making them invaluable models in biomedical studies.
A drug developed for type 2 diabetes has "significantly reversed memory loss" in mice with Alzheimer's disease, and researchers now want to test it on humans. The treatment is exciting for scientists because it works by protecting the brain cells attacked by Alzheimer's disease in three separate…
Animal studies have already suggested that ALS can be prevented by replacing the mutated genes that cause some forms of the condition with normal versions. But delivering genes to nerve cells in the spine is a challenge.
This is Seraphina, a Rock Dove or pigeon. She contributes to studies focused on understanding “homing” and how the brain supports navigation and memory. People who lose their orientation, as a result of diseases such as Alzheimer’s dementia or stroke, cannot find their way around familiar environments. Researchers…
Cancer is a complicated, devastating disease that has affected many lives. New cancer treatments are continually developed because cancer cells change and resist treatment. Other treatments may work for one kind of cancer, but not another. New drugs must be evaluated in animals before they can be given…