This morning the Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy Consortium (GTC) announced the results of clinical trial in 140 patients with cystic fibrosis, which demonstrate the potential for gene therapy to slow – and potentially halt - the decline of lung function in people with the disorder. It is a success that is built on 25 years … Continue reading Clinical trial success for Cystic Fibrosis gene therapy: built on animal research
Category: Science News
Lung cancer immunotherapy, from PD-1 knockout mice to clinical trials
This morning many news outlets, including the BBC, covered a very promising development in lung cancer therapy; the successful clinical trial of the cancer immunotherapy Nivolumab in 582 patients with advanced lung cancer. While the extension of survival was modest in most patients, it is to be remembered that these were patients with advanced lung … Continue reading Lung cancer immunotherapy, from PD-1 knockout mice to clinical trials
The Contribution of Animal Experiments to the Control of Disease
Dr Jack Botting (1932-2012) was a keen advocate of informing the public about the important role of animals in research. Following a successful career in pharmacology, Dr Botting became the Science Director for the Research Defence Society (RDS), an organisation which would later merge with the Coalition for Medical Progress to form Understanding Animal Research. … Continue reading The Contribution of Animal Experiments to the Control of Disease
Zebrafish: the rising star of animal models
Today we have a guest article by Jan Botthof, a PhD Student at the Cambridge University Department of Haematology and the world renowned Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. Together with the EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute - with which it shares the Genome Campus a few miles south of Cambridge - the Sanger Institutes is one of the … Continue reading Zebrafish: the rising star of animal models
En Passage, an Approach to the Use and Provenance of Immortalized Cell Lines
This guest post is by Lisa Krugner-Higby, DVM, PhD. Dr. Krugner-Higby is a scientist and also a research veterinarian within the Research Animal Resource Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Krugner-Higby’s research is in development of extended-release formulations of analgesic and antimicrobial drugs. She previously worked in anti-HIV drug development. I am always fascinated … Continue reading En Passage, an Approach to the Use and Provenance of Immortalized Cell Lines
Interview with a Primate Researcher
In the last few months, Italian animal rights activists have conducted a campaign against animal research, in particular against primate research. This is despite the important role that primates have played in breakthroughs in stem cell research and neuroprosthetics, among other things. Nonetheless, activists continue to try to claim such research is useless. In particular, … Continue reading Interview with a Primate Researcher
American Psychological Association supports NIH primate researcher Stephen J. Suomi
Research conducted within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) intramural program has been the focus of a PETA campaign over the past several months. Elements of the campaign mirror tactics PETA has used elsewhere to generate media coverage, fundraising, and emails or phone calls to the NIH. The campaign recently reached beyond newspaper, bus, and … Continue reading American Psychological Association supports NIH primate researcher Stephen J. Suomi
70 year old professor retires and closes lab, PETA claims victory
The retirement of a highly respected senior neuroscientist at the center of a sustained recent publicity campaign by an animal rights group generated a victory claim on Friday when PETA realized that their target had retired. The retirement came after a productive and award-winning 40 year research and teaching career. University of Wisconsin-Madison neuroscience Professor … Continue reading 70 year old professor retires and closes lab, PETA claims victory
Speaking of Research 