Our use of animals in research

Our research groups

At the University of Dundee, we have research groups interested in a better understanding and thus improved treatment for many diseases including:

• cancer
• neurodegenerative disease (such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease)
• allergies (for example asthma)
• autoimmune diseases (such as Crohn’s Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
• diabetes
• cardiovascular disease 
• and infectious diseases

More information is on the School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine research pages. They detail the work of each research group and the funding sources for the work.

Regulations

All University of Dundee research involving animals is carried out in accordance with UK law, under strict regulations laid out in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act (1986) (ASPA). These are enforced by the Animals in Science Regulation Unit. 

Permission to conduct research with animals needs specific licences. They are issued by the Animals in Science Regulation Unit by the relevant government Minister (currently the Home Secretary). Licence applications must be assessed by a "harm benefit analysis". This analysis weighs the benefits of the proposed research against the likely cost to the animals. Animals can't be used if non-animal alternatives can answer the same question.

Before the Home Office allow animal research to take place, each project licence is first scrutinised by the Dundee Animal Welfare Ethical Review Body (AWERB), called the Welfare and Ethical Use of Animals Committee (WEC).

Once a project licence is approved, local systems are also in place to ensure compliance of each experiment against the project licence authority. This details:

• the licence authority
• the animals to be used
• what is to be done to them
• the possible adverse effects
• the humane endpoints 
• and identifies the responsible people

The Home Office frequently makes announced or unannounced inspections. They check that the conditions of the establishment, project, and personal licences are being followed. They also check that animal welfare is kept at a high standard. Inspectors can check anything at the facilities, including the conditions of the animals and their housing. They also review staff training records and evaluate the culture of care at each establishment based on staff interviews.

Why we use animals

Mice

The mouse has been used in studies since the 17th century. But, genetic research on mice intensified in the early 20th century. 

Mice and humans share about 97% of their genes. This means we develop and inherit traits similarly. 'We also have similar bodily systems and are prone to the same diseases. This makes the mouse a very good model for studying human disease development and progression. Genetically modifying mice to insert, change, or remove genes is a well-established way of finding out what specific genes actually do.

This is the main form of animal work in Dundee. It helps researchers learn what role genes play in causing diseases like cancer, brain disorders, and heart disease. This information can then be used to make better treatments. 

Rats

Similarly, like mice, rats are used in many programs to study human diseases. But, they are used far less than mice for research in Dundee.  

At the University of Dundee, we use rat tissue in research. We study how hormones change how brain cells talk and how this is affected in diseases like Alzheimers. 

Xenopus

Xenopus (frogs) have been used to study chromosome replication, cell signalling and how cells grow and specialise during embryo development. Female xenopus will react to the hormone chorionic gonadotrophin, which is found in pregnant women's urine, by producing eggs. In Dundee we make use of these eggs to generate cellular extract to study cellular division processes to gain better insights into malfunctions in cancer.