Calbio Research

Animal Contributions

Animal Contributions

When research with animals is necessary in biomedical research, it can involve a variety of species. Researchers must find the animal model that best addresses the disease condition they are researching. 

Some animal models are surprising!

  • The use of animals in some forms of biomedical research remains essential to the discovery of the causes, diagnoses, and treatment of disease and suffering in humans and in animals.
  • 95% of all animals needed for research in the U.S. are rodents. Scientists can breed different strains of mice with natural genetic deficiencies to achieve specific models of human diseases. Scientists can also breed mice to address specific diseases.
    Mice
  • Electric eels are used in neurobiological studies, including the study of Multiple Sclerosis.
    Electric Eels
  • Woodchucks have been used to research human liver cancer and Hepatitis B.
    Woodchucks
  • Chinchillas are used as models to study middle ear infections, which commonly plague infants and children.
    Chinchillas
  • Opossums are used to study the esophagus and bacterial endocarditis.
    Opossums
  • Armadillos have been used to test a vaccine for leprosy victims and are being studied to develop a preventative treatment.
    Armadillos
  • Ferrets are important in the study of the influenza virus and the development of new vaccines, cancer treatment models, and in toxicology testing.
    Ferrets
  • Snake venom has provided the raw material for medications to treat cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Venom is also required to produce antivenom to treat snake bite.
    Snakes
  • Dogs represent less than 0.5% of animals needed in research. Researchers first discovered that diabetics lacked the hormone insulin through studies in dogs. Surgeons are currently using canines to study methods of transplanting insulin-producing cells of the pancreas.
    Dogs
  • Naked mole-rats are of exceptional biomedical interest in that they are extremely long-lived for their body size and also are very resistant to pain, cancer, and heart disease. Understanding how these animals beat the odds and stay healthy for most of their very long-lives may provide useful information to help humans live longer and healthier lives.
    Naked Mole Rats
  • The production of tumors in rabbits makes them useful models to study chemotherapy and immunotherapy, as well as immunoprevention of certain cancers.
    Rabbits
  • Cats represent less than 0.5% of animals needed in research. Through research, scientists have discovered a vaccine for feline leukemia and hope this breakthrough can be used as a model for a human HIV vaccine.
    Cats
  • Zebrafish embryos are nearly transparent, which allows researchers to easily examine the development of internal structures. Every blood vessel in a living zebrafish embryo can be seen using just a low-power microscope. Because zebrafish eggs are fertilized and develop outside the mother’s body it is an ideal model organism for studying early development. Zebrafish have a similar genetic structure to humans. They share 70 percent of genes with us.
    Zebra Fish
  • Because frog embryos develop outside of the body they can easily be surgically manipulated or treated with proteins and chemicals that interfere with development. The eggs develop into transparent tadpoles within a couple of days so it is easy to study embryonic development. Genetically, Xenopus (frogs) are very similar to humans and are therefore a good model for human disease.
    Frogs
  • Fruit flies have a short, simple reproduction cycle. The cycle is normally about 8-14 days, depending on the environmental temperature. This means that several generations can be observed in a matter of months. The relationship between fruit fly and human genes is so close that often the sequences of newly discovered human genes, including disease genes, can be matched with equivalent genes in the fly. 75 percent of the genes that cause disease in humans are also found in the fruit fly.
    Fruit Flies
  • Lobsters are used to study syphilis, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s Choreas, all motor coordination diseases.
    Lobsters
  • Sheep are currently used in studies on fetal development, neurological disorders, and cancellous bone healing. They are also common animal models in cardiac disease studies and heart valve replacements, since their heart structure, like pigs, closely mimic that of human hearts.
    Sheep
  • One of the greatest contributions of pig research has been the development of the CAT scan, which allows doctors to examine organs without surgery.
    Pigs
  • Cotton rats are highly susceptible to many of the same infectious diseases that make humans sick. When it comes to immune response, rate of transmission, and disease progression, the cotton rat closely mimics what happens in humans. This shared susceptibility to viral pathogens makes them ideal translational models for the development of drugs and vaccines against global pathogens.
    Cotton Rats