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.

Researchers and clinicians in the UK have announced the birth of a baby following a womb transplant from a deceased donor, a major advance in reproductive medicine built on decades of prior animal research.

Researchers in Belgium have discovered, in mice, a biological mechanism that regulates itching, providing a basis for potential new treatments for skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.

Research in the US has found that moderate alcohol exposure during pregnancy may change how the brain develops and could influence drinking behaviour decades later.

A study in the UK and the Netherlands has uncovered how early nerve damage can sometimes lead to self-repair. It used zebrafish, mice and brain tissue from people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Researchers in France, Germany and Greece have observed how tree-living (arboreal) mammals, including primates and rodents, move effectively in trees, discovering patterns that provide insight into how primates acquired upright posture.

An international team of researchers has shown that a specific brain region is responsible for awakening fully anesthetised macaques, providing new insight into consciousness.

An episode of the Dutch documentary series ‘Focus’ looks at animal research in the Netherlands, with a particular focus on non-human primate (NHP) research at the EARA member Biomedical Primate Research Centre (BPRC). The programme explores how these studies are carried out and why NHPs are used in some areas of biomedical research.

Researchers in the UK have performed gene-editing in wax moths for the first time, opening avenues to use them as a replacement for rodents in some types of research, particularly infection.

Group photo from the long Covid Discovery Day, bringing together representatives from AMACOP, CNB-CSIC, and EARA EARA’s Patient Discovery Project, which raises awareness among patient groups about the role of biomedical research, including the ethical use of animals, while creating a space for informed dialogue, has reached Spain for the first time through a Discovery Day hosted by EARA member the National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC) in collaboration with the Madri

UK newspaper The Times recently reported renewed efforts to introduce a genetically modified purple tomato into British supermarkets, following prior testing in mice. The purple tomato was developed by researchers at the John Innes Centre by introducing two genes, through gene editing. They introduced genes from the snapdragon (Antirrhinum) into tomatoes, enabling the accumulation of antioxidants called anthocyanins. These compounds are also found in blueberries and blackbe