Zebrafish are useful in research studies exploring basic biology and human disease mechanisms. They share 70% of their genetic makeup with humans. Their eggs are fertilized externally and their embryos are transparent.  All of this makes Zebrafish a valuable model for studies to understand gene function and many human genetic…

Research with horses is most often part of a One Health initiative where research for both animals and humans advance side by side.  Veterinary studies to improve horse health are often translated to improve human health. Horses get many human-like diseases such as, inflammation of the cellular layer of the…

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…

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…

Ovarian cancer is diagnosed in 225,000 women every year, accounting for 4% of all cancers. There are not many signs of early stages of cancer and it is often found only in its very late stages, when it is often fatal. Ovarian cancer spontaneously occurs very often in the chicken. Its…

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…

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…

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.

The common marmoset is important in studies for safety, reproductive biology, neuroscience, and drug development. Its small size and many similarities with humans, as well as its  differences, make the common marmoset a valued model. In one area of research, multiple sclerosis (MS), an inflammatory disease of the brain caused…

Because guinea pigs are similar to humans in the symptoms and immune response they have to bacterial infections, they have been studied for more than 200 years. They have contributed to advances in treating diseases that affect the lungs, ears, eyes, arteries, stomach, intestines, and those that are sexually transmitted.…