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khchris(original) · 09.18.2006, 06:42 PM

i don't know much about animal research, so i decided to find out a little for myself:

Armadillo
Researchers have found that the core body temperature of the armadillo is low enough to favour the growth of the leprosy-causing bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. Using the armadillo, scientists have been able to develop a vaccine against leprosy, and one day these unusual South American mammals could help to provide a cure for the disease.

Bee
The natural products of bees, such as royal jelly, honey and even their venom, have been found to have significant effects in cancer treatment and prevention. The application of these products inhibited tumour growth and increased survival of the animals they were tested on. These results may lead to human clinical trials using royal jelly or honey, combined with chemotherapeutic agents.

Cat
Studies on cats have given researchers better understanding of eye disorders like amblyopia (lazy eye) and strabismus (cross-eye). Cats have also contributed to research on glaucoma and cataract surgery. Because of similarities between the neurological system of the cat and that of humans, cats make excellent models for studying the spinal cord and vision and for other types of research involving the nervous system. [500]

Dog
It was first discovered that diabetics lacked the hormone insulin through studies in dogs – the results of which earned scientists the Nobel Prize in the 1920s. Both cats and dogs were important in the development of the heart-lung machine which made open-heart surgery possible. Later, dogs were the first animals used in the attempt to conquer the rejection of transplanted organs. Once again, a Nobel Prize for medicine (1990) was awarded to researchers who studied the immunological basis of organ rejection using dogs. Dogs are still important in heart research and in the safety testing of new medicines. [7,670]

Equid
A century ago, horses were used to produce an antitoxin to treat diphtheria. This was the forerunner of diphtheria vaccination. Scientists have cloned the first member of the equine family: a mule, a cross between a mare and a donkey. The first cloned mule, Idaho Gem, was born in May 2003. This mule clone may help shed some light on human cancers. There are close similarities between humans and horses at the cellular level, which could provide a number of insights about how the relationship of certain chemicals in the body affects both normal and abnormal cell activity. [9,002]

Ferret
Because ferrets are domesticated and their menstrual cycle is easily monitored, they have become important in reproduction research. In particular, they have been useful in determining the environmental factors that influence seasonal reproductive activity and the physiological factors which control puberty and ovulation. In addition, they have been used to study the control of sexual differentiation in the brain, as well as to develop a bird flu vaccine and anti-emetics for cancer patients. [970]

Guinea pig
Guinea pigs have contributed to 23 Nobel prizes for medicine with studies leading to the discovery of Vitamin C, the tuberculosis bacterium, and adrenaline, as well as the development of vaccines for diphtheria and tuberculosis, replacement heart valves, blood transfusion, kidney dialysis, antibiotics, anticoagulants and asthma medicines. Today, guinea pigs are still widely used in medical research, particularly in the study of respiratory, nervous and immune systems. [29,019]

Hamster
An interesting use of hamsters in medical research is the study of the neural basis of our internal daily (circadian) rhythms – in humans this controls our sleep-wake cycle over a 24h period. The control centre for these rhythms was found in the hypothalamus of the brain, and the use of hamsters clearly demonstrated the role of the hormone melatonin in this daily cycle. [4,232]

Insect
One insect widely used in scientific and medical research is the fruitfly, or Drosophila melanogaster, a 3mm-long insect of the kind that accumulates around spoiled fruit. It has been used in genetics and developmental biology for almost a century, and today several thousand scientists are working on many different aspects of the fruitfly. Its importance for human health was recognised by the award of the Nobel prize for medicine in 1995, for work on the genetic control of early embryonic development. Mutant flies with defects in any of several thousand genes are available, and the entire genome has recently been sequenced. These creatures have also helped to develop drugs designed to combat pathogens responsible for a range of diseases from skin infections to pneumonia and meningitis. Recent research with fruitflies has focused on the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease; although the flies have a very simple brain they have highly developed muscles and nerves.

Jellyfish
These ocean creatures may have a painful and sometimes deadly sting, but they have proved to be very useful in scientific and medical research. Some researchers have used jellyfish to search for an effective anti-venom to save victims of Sea Wasp stings, whilst others are studying the chemicals in jellyfish for possible use in treating cancer. A bioluminescent chemical found in a type of jellyfish from the Pacific has already allowed doctors to trace the movement of specific chemicals through the body and could help reveal ways to inactivate defective genes, such as those in Huntington's disease.

Kangaroo
Researchers have recently sequenced the genome of these Australian marsupials, allowing the identification of regions of similarity and difference that can provide clues about the structure and function of genes vital to human health and development. Kangaroo meat is the best source of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) – a healthy fat which possesses potential anti-carcinogenic and anti-diabetic properties, in addition to reducing obesity and high blood pressure. Studies are now underway to determine what is responsible for CLA formation and why kangaroo meat contains so much. If successful, it may be possible to increase the CLA content of other meats and products to increase potential health benefits to consumers.

Lagomorph
Rabbits and hares are lagomorphs. Rabbits are often used in research into respiratory disease such as asthma. Cystic fibrosis – a genetic lung disease – has been investigated using rabbits in addition to mice. At present, researchers are assessing whether gene replacement therapy could prevent cystic fibrosis in newborn rabbits, which could have a huge impact on therapies for patients with the condition. Rabbits are commonly used to produce antibodies and in safety testing. [22,818]

Mouse
Mice are the most commonly used vertebrate animals in medical research. This trend looks likely to continue now that both mouse and human genomes have been mapped (99% of human genes are found in mice) allowing human genetic disorders and diseases to be studied in much greater detail. Often, the only way of determining the function of a human gene is to insert it into, or remove it from, the mouse genome. Many thousands of mouse strains now exist, some frozen as embryos. Eventually, such techniques could lead to new methods of preventing, treating or even curing genetic diseases and other diseases with a genetic component. 97% of all genetically modified animals used in research are mice. [1,961,049]

Nematode
Nematodes, like C elegans, have 'wormed' their way into scientific history, significantly contributing to the research carried out by three winners of the 2002 Nobel Prize for medicine. Despite having a relatively small number of cells, these flatworms still have a nervous system that even includes a primitive brain, making them ideal for studying the development of nerve cells.
C elegans was the first animal to have its genome sequenced, back in 1998.

09.18.2006, 06:42 PM	#68
khchris(original) 100% Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: LA Posts: 708	i don't know much about animal research, so i decided to find out a little for myself: Armadillo Researchers have found that the core body temperature of the armadillo is low enough to favour the growth of the leprosy-causing bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. Using the armadillo, scientists have been able to develop a vaccine against leprosy, and one day these unusual South American mammals could help to provide a cure for the disease. Bee The natural products of bees, such as royal jelly, honey and even their venom, have been found to have significant effects in cancer treatment and prevention. The application of these products inhibited tumour growth and increased survival of the animals they were tested on. These results may lead to human clinical trials using royal jelly or honey, combined with chemotherapeutic agents. Cat Studies on cats have given researchers better understanding of eye disorders like amblyopia (lazy eye) and strabismus (cross-eye). Cats have also contributed to research on glaucoma and cataract surgery. Because of similarities between the neurological system of the cat and that of humans, cats make excellent models for studying the spinal cord and vision and for other types of research involving the nervous system. [500] Dog It was first discovered that diabetics lacked the hormone insulin through studies in dogs – the results of which earned scientists the Nobel Prize in the 1920s. Both cats and dogs were important in the development of the heart-lung machine which made open-heart surgery possible. Later, dogs were the first animals used in the attempt to conquer the rejection of transplanted organs. Once again, a Nobel Prize for medicine (1990) was awarded to researchers who studied the immunological basis of organ rejection using dogs. Dogs are still important in heart research and in the safety testing of new medicines. [7,670] Equid A century ago, horses were used to produce an antitoxin to treat diphtheria. This was the forerunner of diphtheria vaccination. Scientists have cloned the first member of the equine family: a mule, a cross between a mare and a donkey. The first cloned mule, Idaho Gem, was born in May 2003. This mule clone may help shed some light on human cancers. There are close similarities between humans and horses at the cellular level, which could provide a number of insights about how the relationship of certain chemicals in the body affects both normal and abnormal cell activity. [9,002] Ferret Because ferrets are domesticated and their menstrual cycle is easily monitored, they have become important in reproduction research. In particular, they have been useful in determining the environmental factors that influence seasonal reproductive activity and the physiological factors which control puberty and ovulation. In addition, they have been used to study the control of sexual differentiation in the brain, as well as to develop a bird flu vaccine and anti-emetics for cancer patients. [970] Guinea pig Guinea pigs have contributed to 23 Nobel prizes for medicine with studies leading to the discovery of Vitamin C, the tuberculosis bacterium, and adrenaline, as well as the development of vaccines for diphtheria and tuberculosis, replacement heart valves, blood transfusion, kidney dialysis, antibiotics, anticoagulants and asthma medicines. Today, guinea pigs are still widely used in medical research, particularly in the study of respiratory, nervous and immune systems. [29,019] Hamster An interesting use of hamsters in medical research is the study of the neural basis of our internal daily (circadian) rhythms – in humans this controls our sleep-wake cycle over a 24h period. The control centre for these rhythms was found in the hypothalamus of the brain, and the use of hamsters clearly demonstrated the role of the hormone melatonin in this daily cycle. [4,232] Insect One insect widely used in scientific and medical research is the fruitfly, or Drosophila melanogaster, a 3mm-long insect of the kind that accumulates around spoiled fruit. It has been used in genetics and developmental biology for almost a century, and today several thousand scientists are working on many different aspects of the fruitfly. Its importance for human health was recognised by the award of the Nobel prize for medicine in 1995, for work on the genetic control of early embryonic development. Mutant flies with defects in any of several thousand genes are available, and the entire genome has recently been sequenced. These creatures have also helped to develop drugs designed to combat pathogens responsible for a range of diseases from skin infections to pneumonia and meningitis. Recent research with fruitflies has focused on the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease; although the flies have a very simple brain they have highly developed muscles and nerves. Jellyfish These ocean creatures may have a painful and sometimes deadly sting, but they have proved to be very useful in scientific and medical research. Some researchers have used jellyfish to search for an effective anti-venom to save victims of Sea Wasp stings, whilst others are studying the chemicals in jellyfish for possible use in treating cancer. A bioluminescent chemical found in a type of jellyfish from the Pacific has already allowed doctors to trace the movement of specific chemicals through the body and could help reveal ways to inactivate defective genes, such as those in Huntington's disease. Kangaroo Researchers have recently sequenced the genome of these Australian marsupials, allowing the identification of regions of similarity and difference that can provide clues about the structure and function of genes vital to human health and development. Kangaroo meat is the best source of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) – a healthy fat which possesses potential anti-carcinogenic and anti-diabetic properties, in addition to reducing obesity and high blood pressure. Studies are now underway to determine what is responsible for CLA formation and why kangaroo meat contains so much. If successful, it may be possible to increase the CLA content of other meats and products to increase potential health benefits to consumers. Lagomorph Rabbits and hares are lagomorphs. Rabbits are often used in research into respiratory disease such as asthma. Cystic fibrosis – a genetic lung disease – has been investigated using rabbits in addition to mice. At present, researchers are assessing whether gene replacement therapy could prevent cystic fibrosis in newborn rabbits, which could have a huge impact on therapies for patients with the condition. Rabbits are commonly used to produce antibodies and in safety testing. [22,818] Mouse Mice are the most commonly used vertebrate animals in medical research. This trend looks likely to continue now that both mouse and human genomes have been mapped (99% of human genes are found in mice) allowing human genetic disorders and diseases to be studied in much greater detail. Often, the only way of determining the function of a human gene is to insert it into, or remove it from, the mouse genome. Many thousands of mouse strains now exist, some frozen as embryos. Eventually, such techniques could lead to new methods of preventing, treating or even curing genetic diseases and other diseases with a genetic component. 97% of all genetically modified animals used in research are mice. [1,961,049] Nematode Nematodes, like C elegans, have 'wormed' their way into scientific history, significantly contributing to the research carried out by three winners of the 2002 Nobel Prize for medicine. Despite having a relatively small number of cells, these flatworms still have a nervous system that even includes a primitive brain, making them ideal for studying the development of nerve cells. C elegans was the first animal to have its genome sequenced, back in 1998.
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