A study in the US has found that the brain circuits that regulate parental care also control how mice care for other adults, providing a better understanding of social connections and how they can be disrupted. Researchers from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) found that mice that spent more time caring for their pups also spent more time comforting other adult mice previously submitted to stressful situations. By measuring the mice’s brain activity, they fo

A Canadian newspaper investigative report examined claims by PETA, stating animals used in laboratories suffer widespread mistreatment, and found them to be incorrect. Animal research remains ethically debated, and advocacy organisations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) argue that animals in laboratories, “languish in pain, suffer from extreme frustration, ache with loneliness, and long to be free”. The Calgary Journal report aimed to assess whethe

A study in the US and Japan has uncovered how certain gut bacteria can activate calorie-burning fat in mice, shedding light on obesity, diabetes and related diseases. Most body fat in adults is white fat, which stores excess calories. In contrast, beige and brown fat burn energy to produce heat and help regulate metabolism. Scientists have long sought safe ways to convert white fat into beige fat as a potential treatment for metabolic diseases . Researchers from City of Hop

A study from Belgium has identified a new molecular switch that enables immune cells, called macrophages, to fully develop and protect organ health. Macrophages are found in nearly every tissue of the body, where they remove pathogens and dead cells, and maintain the normal function of organs. If macrophages do not mature properly, tissues lose an important defence and maintenance system, allowing damage and inflammation to build up. To reach full functional maturity, macroph

A study in the UK has found changes in cells that explain why mammals, including human ancestors, changed from nocturnal to diurnal, providing clues on one of the most relevant events in mammalian evolution.

TGR, a state-owned Italian news broadcaster, visited the animal facilities housing mice and zebrafish at the University of Milan, an EARA member.

An international study has discovered that fire-footed rope squirrels, which are increasingly hunted and consumed by humans, likely carry the monkeypox virus without getting sick.

A study in the US has advanced understanding of how smoking damages the eye and may contribute to blindness.

Research from the US reports that a new nasal vaccine protected mice against a wide range of respiratory threats. 

A study in the UK has mapped genetic changes in cancer in cats, discovering similarities between humans and pets that could improve therapies for both.