When we hear the phrase 'animal research' we tend to think about the development of new drugs for the clinical practice, or studying molecular pathways involved in the progression of disease; but we must also remember that the techniques used in the operation room are a consequence of biomedical research, including the use of animals. … Continue reading Peritoneal Carcinosis and HIPEC: A second chance for patients, thanks to animal research
Month: October 2014
Thank You Doctor Salk! (and Drs Enders, Bodian, Landsteiner, Sabin…)
Today's Google Doodle honours Dr Jonas Salk, who in 1954 created the world's first effective polio vaccine, which was responsible for launching a campaign that has seen this terrible disease become an increasingly distant memory in most - though sadly not all - parts of the world. It's an opportunity to reflect on the pioneering … Continue reading Thank You Doctor Salk! (and Drs Enders, Bodian, Landsteiner, Sabin…)
A Philosopher’s Dream
A moral philosopher had the following dream: First Darwin appeared, and the philosopher said to him, "Could you give me a fifteen-minute capsule sketch for your support of medical research using animals?" To the philosopher's surprise, Darwin gave him an excellent exposition in which he compressed an enormous amount of material into a mere fifteen minutes, … Continue reading A Philosopher’s Dream
Jeffrey Kahn’s Odd Views on Animal Research
Professor Jeffrey Kahn visited UW Madison to discuss the use of monkeys in medical research. He is the Robert Henry Levi and Ryda Hecht Levi Professor of Bioethics and Public Policy and the Deputy Director for Policy and Administration at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. Professor Kahn has participated in numerous federal panels … Continue reading Jeffrey Kahn’s Odd Views on Animal Research
Paralyzed man walks again after olfactory cell transplant, thanks to animal research
Today, almost 30 years after Prof. Geoffrey Raisman first identified their potential to repair nerve damage in mice, the BBC reports that olfactory ensheathing cell transplantation has been successfully used to enable Darek Fidyka, who was paralyzed from the chest down in a knife attack in 2010, to walk again. The paper reporting the transplant, … Continue reading Paralyzed man walks again after olfactory cell transplant, thanks to animal research
University of Wisconsin responds to dishonest petition attacking psychiatric research
What do you do if your university is the target of an aggressive publicity campaign that distorts and misrepresents the work of one of your most highly respected scientists? What do you do if hundreds of thousands of people sign a petition calling for a research project to be cancelled, even though the petition contains … Continue reading University of Wisconsin responds to dishonest petition attacking psychiatric research
Five Star review for Speaking of Research website
A few months after the Speaking of Research website got full marks in a recent review we've done it again. In Lab Animal Europe's Website of the Month, Speaking of Research got an overall score of five out of five and was considered 'Excellent' for Ease of Use, Content and Visual Impact. It concludes: All, … Continue reading Five Star review for Speaking of Research website
Stem cell therapy allows blind to see again, thanks to animal research
A team of scientists led by stem cell pioneer Professor Robert Lanza has reported today in the Lancet (1) the first evidence for the long-term safety of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in patients who took part in a trial undertaken in four centres in the US. substantial … Continue reading Stem cell therapy allows blind to see again, thanks to animal research
Speaking of Research 