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…
View and ShareNew research investigates whether a stroke can affect the diversity of bacterial populations in the gut and whether these changes could influence the brain's recovery process.
Read MoreThese mice are part of a study to help understand how HDL cholesterol, “the good cholesterol,"protects people from heart attacks. They are transgenic mice carrying the human gene APOA1, which produces a protein component of HDL cholesterol. Animals with this gene are highly resistant to heart disease. When they reach…
View and ShareResearchers perform a fetal ultrasound on a pregnant rhesus monkey to study the link between the Zika virus and birth defects. They are trying to learn how, when and where the virus infects the fetus and causes disease. When an adult male is infected, the virus is cleared quickly. But…
View and ShareCats like Sophie help researchers study the molecular causes for heart failure. Almost 6 million people in the US have heart failure and half of these people die within 5 years of their diagnosis. Cells from the heart muscle of cats survive for up to 10 days in culture. This…
View and SharePeanut is a dog with a naturally-occurring form of muscular dystrophy. He is resting with his research technician after a round of walking across a specially-designed floor plate that measures and records the strength of his muscles to determine whether treatments to reverse the disease are effective.
View and ShareAnimal research contributes greatly to medical progress that helps both animals and humans to live longer and healthier lives. Share our information about the important contributions research animals make to life-saving medical breakthroughs. These animals were crucial to the development of vaccines, as well as effective treatments for cancer, AIDS,…
Read MoreRabbits 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…
Visit Species PageGolden Syrian hamsters are susceptible to a virus called SV40 which is related to human-associated viruses in a family called polyomaviruses. SV40 is a virus that causes cancer in hamsters making them a valuable model for studying how these types of viruses may cause cancer in humans in hopes to…
View and ShareDuchenne muscular dystrophy is a debilitating genetic condition that affects 1 in every 3,500-5,000 boys born worldwide. Golden retrievers have a spontaneously occurring muscular dystrophy that is genetically identical to that of young boys. The similarities don't stop there. In boys and dogs the disease can vary from very mild…
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