Volume 1

The revision of the EU Directive on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes / House of Lords. European Union Committee.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Lords. European Union Committee
Date:
2009
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: The revision of the EU Directive on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes / House of Lords. European Union Committee. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    3. Solomon T, Dung N M, Kneen R, et a/ (2002) Seizures and raised intracranial pressure in Vietnamese patients with Japanese encephalitis. Brain 125:1084—93. 4. Winter P M, Dung N M, Loan HT, et a/ (2004) Proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in humans with Japanese encephalitis. J Infect Dis 190:1618—26. 5. German A C, Myint K S, Mai N T, et a/ (2006) A preliminary neuropathological study of Japanese encephalitis in humans and a mouse model. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 100:1135-45. B4. Airways disease: Ex vivo models of infection and therapeutics Current models of respiratory viral infection and its effect on airways diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, often involve laboratory animals infected with isolates of viral pathogens. These animals experience potentially severe symptoms of acute viral respiratory illness in addition to the invasive sampling procedures necessary to obtain relevant specimens of the lung. Rodents are commonly used, but primate models have also been developed to enable lower airway sampling during active infection using bronchoscopic techniques; these include macaque monkeys in fatal experiments [1]. Further, novel investigational medicinal products are often assessed in primate models prior to phase one studies. Some researchers plan to develop an ex vivo model of human bronchial tissue grown in explant culture. Once established the model would allow in-depth study of the complex mechanisms of inflammation and repair involved in common respiratory conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which cannot be adequately studied using existing techniques. Such a model would facilitate analysis of the effects of respiratory pathogens, such as influenza, on the lung and help determine potential benefits of novel therapeutic agents for both airways disease and acute infection. Establishing an ex vivo human model will thus help to replace primate experiments, which are less relevant to human disease. European support for this area of research could have a significant impact on replacing primate studies and in advancing medical progress for patients with these conditions. REFERENCE 1. D Kobasa, S M Jones, K Shinya, J. C. Kash et al (2007) Aberrant innate immune response in lethal infection of macaques with the 1918 influenza virus. Nature 445:319-323. C. REPRODUCTIVE RESEARCH Cl. Uterine function and premature labour: Development of a human tissue model The Dr Hadwen Trust is funding Dr Rachel Tribe and Dr Michael Taggart at Kings College London and Manchester University, to develop an ex vivo tissue model of human uterine smooth muscle to study uterine function and premature labour. 30% of pregnant women experience a problematic labour, most commonly associated with inappropriate activation of uterine muscle contractile activity. Dr Tribe and Dr Taggart have a distinguished track record of studying these processes in vitro [eg 1-5]. Their new work applies the novel techniques of small interfering RNA and short hairpin RNA interference in human biopsy tissue, to knock down targeted genes known to control uterine muscle contractility. Currently, research into uterine function often involves transgenic mice and primates [6], especially studies of the regulation of human uterine smooth muscle contractility—a very important medical topic. Premature labour, closely dependent on control of uterine muscle contractility, is responsible for 75 neonatal deaths and a significant proportion of morbidity from childhood diseases. Understanding of the regulation of uterine smooth muscle has progressed slowly. From a scientific point of view the animal models are not representative of human labour. The human pathways that link to signalling in the uterus/feto-placental unit are different than those described in other species. However human studies have been hampered because it is difficult to access human tissue from women at different stages of pregnancy, especially during premature labour. The aim of the current research, therefore, is to develop a validated ex vivo technique (siRNA) for silencing gene and protein expression in human uterine tissue as a more scientifically appropriate alternative to using animals.