The Importance of Animal Research

Without the use of laboratory animals, we would not be able to answer many scientific and medical questions. Laboratory animal organisms are in many ways similar to humans: 99% of the genome of a laboratory mouse and 70% of the genome of zebrafish are identical to the human genome. Although alternative research methods are being rapidly developed, they still do not fully replace in vivo methods (studies on animal models).

Scientific research involving laboratory animals allows us to understand complex processes occurring between different types of cells and tissues that we cannot observe in cell cultures. Currently, even the most advanced non-animal methods, such as organoids (lab-grown organs), cannot fully replicate the complexity of development and functioning of a living organism.

Selected research findings obtained using animals in the IIMCB

Medicine

1. We discovered that mRNA vaccines (such as ones used for Covid19) are stabilized by proteins present in cells and only thanks to them immunity against diseases is formed (mice, Krawczyk et al., 2023).

2. We found the causes of congenital bone fragility in children with a mutation in the TENT5A gene (mice, Gewartowska et al., 2021).

3. We discovered how mutations in the Tent5c gene contribute to the development of multiple myeloma (a type of blood cancer) and how Tent5c affects the immune system (mice, Mroczek et al., 2017 and Bilska et al., 2020).

4. Using CRISPR-Cas9 technology, we developed lines of zebrafish with mutations in npc genes. It has helped to better understand Niemann-Pick disease, which causes damage to multiple organs in the body. Our findings may accelerate therapy development (zebrafish, Wiweger et al., 2021).

5. Through research on microRNA-7, we revealed how microRNA affects neuronal development, which could potentially be applied in therapies for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (zebrafish, Adusumilli et al., 2020).

6. Through research on fish with a Tsc2 deficiency, we demonstrated hyperactivity of the mTorC1 pathway and unproper development of connections between neuronal cells, which can be important for development of therapies of neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients suffering from tuberous sclerosis (zebrafish, Kedra et al., 2020 and Prentzell et al., 2021).

Developmental biology

1. Thanks to the use of integrated genomics tools, we identified molecular factors responsible for congenital heart defects (zebrafish, Baranasic et al., 2022).

2. We learned about the molecular mechanisms of heart regeneration in zebrafish, which may contribute to a better understanding of why heart regeneration does not happen naturally in humans. It may also help selecting individual therapies for patients after heart attack (zebrafish, Pawlak et al., 2019).

3. We discovered the function of ADAR enzymes that convert adenosine to inosine, which is crucial for the proper development of embryos and the immune response (zebrafish, Niescierowicz et al., 2022).

4. We found that the proper development and function of the inner ear depend on potassium ion concentration involving the Kv2.1/KCNB1 protein (zebrafish, Jedrychowska et al., 2021).

5. Studies of the Wnt3 protein provided us with insights into its distribution and functions in the brain of fish, which is important for understanding the developmental mechanisms of the vertebrate brain (zebrafish, Veerapathiran et al., 2020).

Learn more:

Animal Research
The Importance of Animal Research
Research Guidelines
Animal Research at the IIMCB