Labanimal

You’re listening to the June 2021 episode of 3 Minute 3Rs  The papers behind the pod: Winning paper: Pellegrini L et al. (2020). Human CNS barrier-forming organoids with cerebrospinal fluid production. Science 369(6500): eaaz5626. doi.org/10.1126/science.aaz5626.  Highly commended: Ashworth J et al. (2020). Peptide gels of fully-defined composition and mechanics for probing cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions in vitro. Matrix Biology 85-86: 15-33. doi.org/10.1016/j.matbio.2019.06.009.  [Transcript]It’s the 3rd Thursday of June, and you’re listening to 3 Minute 3Rs, your monthly recap of efforts to replace, reduce, and refine the use of animals in research. This month, we’ve got a special double feature to highlight the results of the 2020 3Rs Prize, awarded by the NC3Rs and sponsored by GSK. Let’s start with the winner: Laura Pellegrini at the MRC Laboratory of Molecul

You’re listening to the April episode of 3 Minute 3Rs.The papers behind the pod:1.      PCR Testing of Media Placed in Soiled Bedding as a Method for Mouse Colony Health Surveillance. JAALAS  https://doi.org/10.30802/AALAS-JAALAS-20-0000962.      New mosquito repellency bioassay for evaluation of repellents and pyrethroids using an attractive blood-feeding device. Parasites & Vectors https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-021-04656-y3.      Lung cancer organoids analysed on microwell arrays predict drug responses within a week. Nature Communications https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22676-1 Transcript: It’s the 3rd Thursday of May and you’re listening to 3 Minute 3Rs, your monthly recap of efforts to replace, reduce, and refine the use of animals in research. This month, we’re looking at animal free options for testing mosquito repellents and cancer therapies. But first, can we replace sentinel animals for health

You’re listening to the April episode of 3 Minute 3Rs.The papers behind the pod:1.       Identification of individual zebrafish (Danio rerio): a refined protocol for VIE tagging whist considering animal welfare and the principles of the 3RS. Animals  11, 616 (2021) https://doi.org/10.3390/ani110306162.      Enrichment for laboratory zebrafish – a review of the evidence and challenges. Animals 11, 698 (2021) https://doi.org/10.3390/ani110306983.      Research relevant background lesions and conditions: ferrets, dogs, swine, sheep, and goats. ILAR J ilab005 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1093/ilar/ilab0054.      *Bonus* Research-relevant background lesions and conditions in common avian and aquatic species. ILAR J ilab008 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1093/ilar/ilab008Transcript: It’s the 3rd Thursday of April and you’re listening to 3 Minute 3Rs, your monthly recap of efforts to replace, red

You’re listening to the March episode of 3 Minute 3Rs.The papers behind the pod:1.      Novel three-dimensional biochip pulmonary sarcoidosis model. PLoS One https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0245805 2.      A new group housing approach for non-human primate metabolism studies. Journal of Pharmacological and Toxicological Methods https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vascn.2020.1069473.      The contribution of environmental enrichment to phenotypic variation in mice and rats. eNeuro https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0539-20.2021Transcript: It’s the 3rd Thursday of March and you’re listening to 3 Minute 3Rs, your monthly recap of efforts to replace, reduce, and refine the use of animals in research. This month, we’ve got two refinements to cover – a paper for primates and one for rodents too. But first, let’s have some lung chips. [NC3Rs]Despite being first described towards the end of the 19th century,

You’re listening to the February episode of 3 Minute 3Rs.The papers behind the pod:1.      In Vitro Tests for Assessing the Neutralizing Ability of Snake Antivenoms: Toward the 3Rs Principles. Frontiers in Immunology https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2020.6174292.      The Impact of Acute Loud Noise on the Behavior of Laboratory Birds. Frontiers in Veterinary Science https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2020.6076323.      A multicomponent screen for feeding behavior and nutritional status in Drosophila to interrogate mammalian appetite-related genes. Molecular Metabolism https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2020.101127Transcript: It’s the 3rd Thursday of February and you’re listening to 3 Minute 3Rs, your monthly recap of efforts to replace, reduce, and refine the use of animals in research. This month, we’ve got work on finches and flies to feature, but first, let’s review what we know about applying the 3Rs to antivenom research.[NA3

You’re listening to the January episode of 3 Minute 3Rs.The papers behind the pod:1.      Internal consistency and compatibility of the 3Rs and 3Vs principles for project evaluation of animal research. Laboratory Animals https://doi.org/10.1177/00236772209685832.      Noise and Vibration in the Vivarium: Recommendations for Developing a Measurement Plan. JAALAS https://doi.org/10.30802/AALAS-JAALAS-19-0001313.      A human tissue screen identifies a regulator of ER secretion as a brain-size determinant. Science  https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abb5390 Transcript: It’s the 3rd Thursday of January and you’re listening to the first 3 Minute 3R of the new year. Each month, we recap three efforts to replace, reduce, and refine the use of animals in research. To kick off 2021, we’ll be discussing the issue of noise in the vivarium, and consider an organoid rather than animal-based approach for studying brain development.

You’re listening to the December episode of 3 Minute 3Rs.The papers behind the pod:1.      Protective cranial implant caps for macaques. Journal of Neuroscience Methods https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.1089922.      The ‘Cage Climber’ – A new enrichment for use in large-dimensioned mouse facilities. Applied Animal Behaviour Science https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2020.1050783.      Skin swabbing is a refined technique to collect DNA from model fish species. Scientific Reports https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-75304-1Transcript: It’s the 3rd Thursday of December and you’re listening to 3 Minute 3Rs, your monthly recap of efforts to replace, reduce, and refine the use of animals in research. For the last episode of 2020, we’re focusing on refinements for three different animals. Let’s start big.[NC3Rs]Measuring the electrical activity of neurons during sensory or motor activities can reveal how the brain

You’re listening to the November episode of 3 Minute 3Rs.The papers behind the pod:1.       Three-Dimensional Human Alveolar Stem Cell Culture Models Reveal Infection Response to SARS-CoV-2. Cell Stem Cell  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stem.2020.10.0042.      Improving reproducibility in animal research by splitting the study population into several ‘mini-experiments’. Sci Rep  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-73503-43.      Three Pillars of Automated Home-Cage Phenotyping of Mice: Novel Findings, Refinement, and Reproducibility Based on Literature and Experience. Front Behav Neurosci https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2020.575434Transcript: It’s the 3rd Thursday of November and you’re listening to 3 Minute 3Rs, your monthly recap of efforts to replace, reduce, and refine the use of animals in research. This month, we’ve got one paper for each R – let’s jump right in with a replacement. [NC3Rs]Severe acute respi

You’re listening to the October episode of 3 Minute 3Rs.The papers behind the pod:1.       The epidemiology of fighting in group-housed laboratory mice. Scientific Reports https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-73620-02.      Development of a miniaturized 96-Transwell air–liquid interface human small airway epithelial model. Scientific Reports https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-69948-23.      Publication rate in preclinical research: a plea for preregistration. BMJ Open Science https://openscience.bmj.com/content/4/1/e100051Transcript: It’s the 3rd Thursday of October and you’re listening to 3 Minute 3Rs, your monthly recap of efforts to replace, reduce, and refine the use of animals in research. This month, we’ll take a look at preclinical publications and a microplate system to study small airway epithelium. But first, can we stop the fighting? [NA3Rs] Mice, the most commonly used mammal in scient

You’re listening to the September episode of 3 Minute 3Rs.The papers behind the pod:1.       Multicellular 3D Neurovascular Unit Model for Assessing Hypoxia and Neuroinflammation Induced Blood-Brain Barrier Dysfunction. Scientific Reports https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-66487-82.      Automated and rapid self-report of nociception in transgenic mice. Scientific Reports https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-70028-83.      Zebrafish as an alternative animal model in human and animal vaccination research Laboratory Animal Research https://labanimres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42826-020-00042-4 Transcript: It’s the 3rd Thursday of September, and you’re listening to 3 Minute 3Rs, your monthly recap of efforts to replace, reduce, and refine the use of animals in research. This month, we’ll let mice do the talking and hear about using zebrafish to study vaccines. But let’s start with an update

You’re listening to the August episode of 3 Minute 3Rs.The papers behind the pod:1.      The ARRIVE guidelines 2.0: Updated guidelines for reporting animal research. PloS Biology https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.30004102.      Acute and chronic stress prevents responses to pain in zebrafish: evidence for stress-induced analgesia. Journal of Experimental Biology. https://jeb.biologists.org/content/223/14/jeb2245273.      3Rs-based optimization of mice behavioral testing: The habituation/dishabituation olfactory test. Journal of Neuroscience Methods. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneumeth.2019.108550 Transcript:It’s the 3rd Thursday of August, and you’re listening to 3 Minute 3Rs, your monthly recap of efforts to replace, reduce, and refine the use of animals in research. This month we’ve got papers on fish pain and a refined mouse olfaction task. But let’s kick the episode off wi

You’re listening to the July episode of 3 Minute 3Rs.The papers behind the pod:1.      Reproducibility of animal research in light of biological variation. Nature review Neuroscience https://www.nature.com/articles/s41583-020-0313-32.      Inactivated rabies vaccines: Standardization of an in vitro assay for residual viable virus detection. Plos Neglected Tropical Diseases https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.00081423.      A novel biosafety level 2 compliant tuberculosis infection model using a ΔleuDΔpanCD double auxotroph of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and Galleria mellonella. Virulence https://doi.org/10.1080/21505594.2020.1781486Transcript: [NA3RsC] Reproducibility is a cornerstone of the scientific method. But unfortunately, it’s considered to be quite poor for all research findings, and especially animal studies. Experts in animal biology, experimental design, and statistics

You’re listening to the June episode of 3 Minute 3Rs.The papers behind the pod:A novel, high-welfare methodology for evaluating poultry red mite interventions in vivo. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030440171930041XPluripotent state transitions coordinate morphogenesis in mouse and human embryos. https://www.nature.com/articles/nature24675TranscriptIt’s the Third Thursday of June and you’re listening to 3 Minute 3Rs, your monthly recap of efforts to replace, reduce, and refine the use of animals in research. Instead of the usual 3 segments this month, we’re featuring two, in recognition of the two winners of the 2019 3Rs Prize, awarded by the NC3Rs and sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline. We’ll start with a recap of Dr. Francesca Nunn’s paper on red mite interventions in poultry.   [NA3RsC] Laying hens can be infested with poultry red mites which causes major economic and animal welfare issues. These mites can cause anemia, reduced production, and even death. Current treatments are

You’re listening to the May episode of 3 Minute 3Rs. The papers behind the pod: 1        Refining rodent models of spinal cord injury: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.expneurol.2020.1132732        Preclinical validation of the micropipette-guided drug administration (MDA) method in the maternal immune activation model of neurodevelopmental disorders https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S08891591203025433      Identifying obstacles preventing the uptake of tunnel handling methods for laboratory mice: An international thematic survey https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0231454TranscriptIt’s the Third Thursday of May and you’re listening to 3 Minute 3Rs, your monthly recap of efforts to replace, reduce, and refine the use of animals in research. This episode, we’ll be talking about that last R, starting with a refined rodent model of spinal cord injury.[NC3Rs] Sp

You’re listening to the April episode of 3 Minute 3Rs, brought to you by the NC3Rs, North American 3Rs Collaborative, and Lab Animal. The papers behind the pod: 1. In Vitro Antiviral Activity and Projection of Optimized Dosing Design of Hydroxychloroquine for the Treatment of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32150618)2. Engineering a 3D functional human peripheral nerve in vitro using the Nerve-on-a-Chip platform. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-45407-5 3. Laboratory Animal Welfare Meets Human Welfare: A Cross-Sectional Study of Professional Quality of Life, Including Compassion Fatigue in Laboratory Animal Personnel https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.00114/fullTranscript:Still social distancing, 3 Minute 3Rs is back with your April recap of efforts to replace, reduce, and refine the use of animals in research. Let’s get right to it, starting this month with a replacement paper related to a topic th

The March 2020 episode of 3 Minute 3Rs, brought to you by the NC3Rs (www.nc3rs.org.uk), the North American 3Rs Collaborative (www.na3rsc.org), and Lab Animal (www.nature.com/laban) The papers: 1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32076633 2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273230020300507 3. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-59012-4 Transcript [NC3Rs] Nanomedicines have many potential advantages, including their ability to home to specific diseased tissues and exert a localised effect. Due to their relatively large size, the biodistribution of nanomedicines does not follow the same rules as small molecules and is largely dictated by the diameter of the blood vessels they pass through en route to their target tissue. This means that although current methods to assess biodistribution rely heavily on the use of animals including rodents and non-human primates, the results can vary greatly between preclinical species and man. Using an in vitro cell based model of nanoparticle uptake

The February 2020 episode of 3 Minute 3Rs, brought to you by the NC3Rs (www.nc3rs.org.uk), the North American 3Rs Collaborative (www.na3rsc.org), and Lab Animal (www.nature.com/laban). 1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867419313236 2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165027019303097 3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31852563 [NC3Rs] If you are bitten by a snake today, your anti venom treatment would be largely similar to if you were bitten 100 years ago. Anti venom is created by isolating antibodies from a large animal, typically a horse, after the animal has been given repeated injections of small amounts of venom. But due to issues with anti venom production, efficacy and safety standards, over 100,000 people worldwide will die from snake bites each year. Venom is a complex mix of molecules, which vary between different snake species and can only be obtained by milking snakes. This has been an obstacle in anti venom research. But now scientists from the Neth

The January 2020 episode of 3 Minute 3Rs, brought to you by the NC3Rs (www.nc3rs.org.uk), the North American 3Rs Collaborative (www.na3rsc.org), and Lab Animal (www.nature.com/laban). Papers: 1. https://doi.org/10.15252/embr.201949709 2. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-56860-7 3. https://doi.org/10.1177/0023677219879455 [NC3Rs] Academic scientists produce many of the clever ideas which end up as medicines. However, the results in the papers reporting the work are almost always positive, and null or negative results rarely get a look in – a phenomenon known as publication bias. This is problematic as the negative or null data could be useful to other researchers. It can also lead to a culture of striving for positive results, potentially increasing poor experimental design or the inappropriate use of statistics. Overall this contributes to the so-called ‘reproducibility crisis’ and means that animals are used in studies that are not correctly designed to demonstrate an effect. In response to this

The December episode of 3 Minute 3Rs, brought to you by the NC3Rs (www.nc3rs.org.uk), the North American 3Rs Collaborative (www.na3rsc.org), and Lab Animal (www.nature.com/laban). Papers: 1. Cage aggression in group-housed laboratory male mice: an international data crowdsourcing project. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-51674-z 2. Towards animal-free neurotoxicity screening: Applicability of hiPSC-derived neuronal models for in vitro seizure liability assessmenthttps://www.altex.org/index.php/altex/article/view/1321 3. Optimal solid state neurons https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-13177-3 [NC3Rs] Mice are social creatures. It's why we house them in groups in the lab to improve their welfare and allow the animals to make social interactions that simply aren't possible if they're individually housed. However, the social groupings mice make in the wild are complex, with hierarchies of social dominance. In the lab group has mice are kept in cages, which means dominant and subordinate males

The November episode of 3 Minute 3rs, brought to you by the NC3Rs (www.nc3rs.org.uk), the North American 3Rs Collaborative (www.na3rsc.org), and Lab Animal (www.nature.com/laban). Papers: 1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6662399/ 2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5371849/ 3. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2019/LC/C9LC00160C [NA3RsC] Evaluation of developmental and reproductive toxicity is a key aspect of drug development. Each year, 5-7% of newborns worldwide are born with serious birth defects, a number correlated to increased use of pharmaceutical drugs for managing health conditions. Reproductive toxicology studies account for roughly 90% of all animal use in toxicological safety assessment. The FDA requires that these animal studies be performed in two species, often rodents and rabbits. The embryonic stem cell test (EST) is an alternative in vitro assay that does not require the use of pregnant animals but is not yet powerful enough to provide a complete al