scholarly journals Agricultural Animals as Biomedical Models: Occupational Health and Safety Considerations

ILAR Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-167
Author(s):  
Gaylen L Edwards ◽  
Michael J Azain ◽  
Andrew Parks
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Metabolic Rate ◽  
Biomedical Research ◽  
Human Disease ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Physical Plant ◽  
Safety Considerations ◽  
Training Of Personnel

Abstract The use of agricultural animals in biomedical research is increasing. Their overall size and metabolic rate, organ size, longer gestation period, and other physiological similarities make them good candidates for animal models of human disease. There are a number of special considerations for use of traditional farm animals for biomedical research. Differences in physical plant infrastructure, handling equipment, training of personnel, and potential zoonoses are some of the important considerations when traditional farm animals are used in biomedical research. This article provides an overview of some of the special considerations for using traditional agricultural animals in biomedical research. With the growing need for improved translational research, it is reasonable to predict significant growth in these animal models.

scholarly journals Foreword and Introduction to This Issue on Contemporary Safety Topics in Animal Research

ILAR Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-126
Author(s):  
John Bradfield ◽  
Esmeralda Meyer ◽  
John N Norton
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Animal Research ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
The Status ◽  
Safety Considerations ◽  
Animal Care ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Institutions with animal care and use programs are obligated to provide for the health and well-being of the animals, but are equally obligated to provide for safety of individuals associated with the program. The topics in this issue of the ILAR Journal, in association with those within the complimentary issue of the Journal of Applied Biosafety, provide a variety of contemporary occupational health and safety considerations in today’s animal research programs. Each article addresses key or emerging occupational health and safety topics in institutional animal care and use programs, where the status of the topic, contemporary challenges, and future directions are provided.

Epistemology and the Ethics of Animal Experimentation

2021 ◽  
pp. 67-96
Author(s):  
Mylan Engel Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Biomedical Research ◽  
Human Disease ◽  
Animal Experiments ◽  
Animal Experimentation ◽  
Proper Treatment ◽  
Continued Use

In this chapter, Mylan Engel Jr. argues that animal experimentation is neither epistemically nor morally justified and should be abolished. Engel argues that the only serious attempt at justifying animal experimentation is the benefits argument, according to which animal experiments are justified because the benefits that humans receive from the experiments outweigh the costs imposed on the animal subjects. According to Engel, the benefits we allegedly receive from animal-based biomedical research are primarily epistemic, in that experimenting on animal models is supposed to provide us with knowledge of the origin and proper treatment of human disease. However, Engel argues that animal models are extremely unreliable at predicting how drugs will behave in humans, whether candidate drugs will be safe in humans, and whether candidate drugs will be effective in humans. Engel concludes that animal-based research fails to provide the epistemic, and thereby moral, benefits needed to justify its continued use.

scholarly journals Safety Considerations When Working with Humanized Animals

ILAR Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-160
Author(s):  
Jason S Villano ◽  
Susan E Vleck ◽  
Stephen A Felt ◽  
Daniel D Myers ◽  
Patrick A Lester
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Model Development ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Initial Step ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Bloodborne Pathogens ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Research Institution ◽  
Human Cd34 ◽  
Safety Considerations

Abstract Research using laboratory animals has been revolutionized by the creation of humanized animal models, which are immunodeficient animals engrafted with human cells, tissues, or organs. These animal models provide the research community a unique and promising opportunity to mimic a wide variety of disease conditions in humans, from infectious disease to cancer. A vast majority of these models are humanized mice like those injected with human CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells and patient-derived xenografts. With this technology comes the need for the animal research enterprise to understand the inherent and potential risks, such as exposure to bloodborne pathogens, associated with the model development and research applications. Here, we review existing humanized animal models and provide recommendations for their safe use based on regulatory framework and literature. A risk assessment program—from handling the human material to its administration to animals and animal housing—is a necessary initial step in mitigating risks associated with the use of humanized animals in research. Ultimately, establishing institutional policies and guidelines to ensure personnel safety is a legal and ethical responsibility of the research institution as part of the occupational health and safety program and overall animal care and use program.

scholarly journals The pig as an animal model in biomedical research: A review

2018 ◽  
Vol 72 ◽  
pp. 1032-1042 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Dzięgiel ◽  
Paulina Szczurek ◽  
Jacek Jura ◽  
Marek Pieszka
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Genetic Engineering ◽  
Translational Research ◽  
Biomedical Research ◽  
Human Disease ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
High Fertility ◽  
Cardiovascular Research ◽  
Therapeutic Concepts

The advances in translational biomedical research, especially in genetic engineering, created new opportunities to trace the courses of human diseases and develop effective therapeutic methods. There remains, however, a growing demand for appropriate animal models for the precise evaluation of the efficacy and safety of new drugs or therapeutic concepts. Thus far, rodent models have been most widely used in translational research; however, since they do not perfectly reflect the human disease phenotype, transgenic pigs are increasingly being utilized as animal models. Thanks to the anatomical and physiological similarities between pigs and humans, swine are considered to be one of the most valuable animal models used in preclinical studies, including nutritional, metabolic and cardiovascular research. The resemblances involve the gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, urinary, respiratory, skeletal muscle and immune systems, as wells as body size, body composition and the omnivorous food choice. In addition, pigs are characterized by high fertility and fecundity, as well as the ease of use and low maintenance costs. Importantly, the existing efficient genetic engineering techniques enable relatively easy generation of tailored porcine models of human disease. One should be aware, however, of some physiological differences between humans and pigs to correctly interpret induced toxicological changes. The article provides an overview of current techniques for genetic modification of pigs, as well as the use of swine models in translational research exemplified by xenotransplantation, metabolic and coronary heart disease, and the gastrointestinal motility studies.

Characteristics and Unmet Clinical Needs Related to Hepatocellular Carcinoma

2017 ◽  
Vol 01 (02) ◽  
pp. 074-082
Author(s):  
Jordan Newson ◽  
Nickolas Kinachtchouk ◽  
Kyle Schachtschneider ◽  
Regina Schwind ◽  
Lawrence Schook
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Biomedical Research ◽  
Human Disease ◽  
Rabbit Model ◽  
In Vitro Study ◽  
Large Animal ◽  
Curative Therapy ◽  
Large Animal Models

AbstractAdvances in biomedical research require animal models that accurately recapitulate human disease. Without such models, progress against human diseases such as cancer is significantly hindered. Here, we present the current landscape on available and emerging hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) animal models. HCC is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide, with an annual death toll exceeding 745,000. Stunningly, only 15% of HCC patients are candidates for curative therapy, leading 85% of patients to seek palliative therapeutic options. The VX2 rabbit model is considered the most relevant and widely used HCC model; however, more reliable HCC models are critically needed. In general, animal models for biomedical research should (1) mimic the human disease on a molecular basis, (2) derive from a relevant cell line that lends itself to in vitro study, (3) be reliable and predictable, (4) manifest survival differences, (5) allow for accurate treatment assessment, (6) be readily imaged, and (7) occur in similar background settings as the human disease. Over the past decades, numerous small animal models have been utilized for HCC studies; however, the development of new large animal models as qualified alternatives to murine models represents a key technology to advance research into human clinical trials.

Development of a Toolkit for Integrating Occupational Health and Safety and Worksite Health Promotion

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Bizarro ◽  
Megan Dove-Steinkamp ◽  
Nicole Johnson ◽  
Scott Ryan ◽  
Michelle Robertson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Worksite Health Promotion ◽  
Worksite Health
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