Search Results: "Colon cancer"

Animals in Research

Immunodeficient mouse with caretaker

Immunodeficient mice, like this one, need specialized care to ensure their health is not compromised. They are important for several research areas including immunology, infectious disease, cancer, and organ transplantation.  These particular mice are bred so that they lack a thymus gland, which reduces the number of T cells in…

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Species Entry

Fruit Fly

Fruit flies have helped to develop drugs designed to treat a range of diseases from skin infections and genetic disorders to pneumonia, and meningitis. Some of the recent research with fruit flies has focused on understanding Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, spastic paraplegia, cancer, obesity and insomnia.

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Dog

Dogs, although one of the least common animals needed for research, are among the most important.  Many cancers in dogs are identical, or almost identical, to human cancers. The cancer in dogs often develops faster, making them an ideal model to see if a certain therapy is effective. Many breeds…

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Rabbit

Rabbits are the reason our dogs and cats can live with us in our houses.  Louis Pasteur worked with rabbits to develop the first rabies vaccine which made it safe to bring pets into our homes.  Rabbits have a similar anatomy and physiology to humans, especially their cardiovascular system, and…

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Hamster

Hamsters are important in many research areas, including cancer, reproduction, virology, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Hamsters and humans metabolize fats and sugars in similar ways, leading to susceptibility to atherosclerosis and diabetes. When fed high fat diets, hamsters’ LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) will elevate, as in humans, and lead…

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Rhesus macaque

Rhesus macaque monkeys are an important animal model due to their anatomical and physiological similarities to humans. Many benefits to human health would not have been possible without these special animals, including the development of life-saving vaccines such as polio, smallpox, and rabies. Effective treatments for HIV/AIDS have been created because of research…

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Animals in Research

Baby Rat Health Check

All research animals, from tiny fish to curious monkeys,  receive daily health checks. Pictured here are two baby rats being evaluated by their animal caregiver. Their eyes, ears, color, condition of fur and behavior are all assessed daily to ensure good health. These interactions also help build a positive relationship…

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Featured Studies

The tiny fish that has helped unlock the mysteries of human disease

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — In 1993, Leonard Zon had 110 fish tanks and an idea. Zon, a professor of stem cell and regenerative biology at Harvard University, thought to study human diseases in zebrafish. The freshwater fish, native to the streams and rice paddies of India and Myanmar, struck him as…

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Come See Our World!

Come See Our World (CSOW) is your window into the world of life changing research involving animals. We invite you to see the animals that are integral to medical progress.  Advancements in human and animal health would not be possible without these important animals, as well as their caregivers, researchers,…

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