The “Rat Scratcher” was presented with the 2019 Janet Wood Innovation Award at the Institute of Animal Technology Congress in Liverpool, England earlier this month. The award, a program of the Datesand Group, aims to encourage laboratory animal technicians to come up with ideas that support the Three R’s of animal research: replacement, reduction and… Read more
For those suffering from pain related to spinal fractures due to osteoporosis, spinal fusion may not be the answer. Cementing crumbling vertebrae to fuse bones together – called vertebroplasty – is common practice for osteoporosis patients. Over 750,000 vertebroplasty procedures are conducted annually in the United States. According to a task force of the American… Read more
We’ve all seen advertising for genetic testing services, offering insight into your ancestry as well as health based on your genetic code. But Drs. Michael Hochman and Pieter Cohen warn that genetic tests offered directly to consumers without input from a physician or geneticist can be problematic. They note that genetic tests for BRCA mutations… Read more
We regularly hear that obesity is a risk factor for various diseases, and we’re beginning to understand that some diseases have overlapping risk factors and outcomes. For example obesity, type II diabetes, and a diet high in saturated fats are all risk factors for developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. And recent studies have revealed outcomes… Read more
The Janet Wood Innovation Award finalists were recently announced, recognizing individuals who created novel products that improve the welfare of laboratory animals. The award, a program of Datesand Group, aims to encourage laboratory animal technicians to come up with ideas that support the Three R’s of animal research (replacement, reduction and refinement). The products will… Read more
Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has proven benefits over “open surgery”: fewer complications, shorter hospitalization, lower rates of readmission and mortality, and lower health care costs. Unfortunately, the population that might benefit the most from this approach is under-served. A recently published study used a Medicare database to analyze minimally invasive vs. traditional open surgeries in elderly… Read more
Millions of animals – mainly rats and mice – are used every year as surrogates for humans in toxicology testing. Such testing is often required by regulatory bodies to evaluate the potential toxicity of new products and chemicals. The search for alternatives to lethal animal toxicology testing in the last few decades has started to… Read more
As part of Parsemus Foundation’s commitment to animal welfare, we’re proud to be a new sponsor of the Janet Wood Innovation Award, which supports the “Three Rs” of animal testing: the REPLACEMENT of animals in testing, the REDUCTION in animal use in testing, and the REFINEMENT of animal testing methods to minimize or avoid animal… Read more
If you or someone you know has adrenal insufficiency, you probably understand how difficult it is to regulate glucocorticoid replacement therapy. That’s because the body normally has various levels of cortisol throughout the day as well as in response to stressors. Glucocorticoid over-treatment may result in weight gain and metabolic impairment, with dose reduction the… Read more
A carefully controlled study has reported that stents given to individuals with a severe blockage of an artery did not improve their pain or their performance in treadmill tests relative to individuals who did not receive stents. The research study, named ORBITA, used a randomization procedure in which half of the participants received a stent… Read more