🌟 @Cambridge_Uni scientists just achieved a major breakthrough in spinal cord injury research—and they did it using human-based technologies. @GibbStem et al. built a human corticospinal circuit in vitro, connecting cortical and spinal organoids so that axons grow, form synapses, and even drive muscle contraction. Their novel model captures the biology of human movement on the benchtop. We know that, as we age, we lose the ability to grow axons in the central nervous system. However: “Much of what we know about nerve regeneration comes from rodents, whose neurons behave differently from human neurons,” said Associate Professor András Lakatos MD PhD FRCP (@LakatosLab). cam.ac.uk/research/news/lab-… Using human cells, single-cell transcriptomics, and computational analyses, the team was able to answer a question that experiments on animals could not: How does the developmental shutdown of axon regrowth occur in humans, and can it be reversed? By pinpointing the gene network that switches regrowth off as axons age, they identified existing drugs that could block it, restoring the ability of human axons to repair and regrow. This powerful study brings together human genetics, development, injury, and repair in a single system. It shows that, when studied in the right human-relevant platform, a form of nerve damage long considered ‘irreversible’ may not be. Huge congrats to Gibbons, Lakatos, and co-authors, including @TanjaFuchsberg1, @MaiAbdel1230, @StefanoGiando, @NelliSzebenyi, @ves_petrova, @lea_md_wenger, @Navinster, @JJChabros, and @mad_lancaster. 📖 @CellReports: doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.202… 🏛️ @BrainRepair_VGB, @CamNeuro, @PDN_Cambridge, @The_MRC, @BWHNeurology, and @SCICambridge This work was funded by @UKRI_News and @SpinalResearch.

Plants eat this "dogpoop" to survive. Scientists used to call this process "photosynthesis", but that was forgotten (somehow) after the global warming panic hit.

We’re proud to share that MIMETAS is a founding member of IAMPS, the world’s first industry alliance dedicated to advancing microphysiological systems (MPS). IAMPS will accelerate regulatory acceptance, standardization & adoption of #NAMs. shorturl.at/dLRcF

From faster drug development to reduced reliance on animal testing, New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) are changing how R&D teams generate evidence. Get the facts 👉 ow.ly/Ovfy50XSpEs #NAMs #DrugDevelopment #RegulatoryScience #MIDD #Certara

In the U.S., 1 in 3 women report heavy menstrual bleeding, a condition that can lead to iron deficiency and anemia. Despite its prevalence, the underlying causes remain poorly understood. To help close this gap, the @WellcomeLeap's $50 million Missed Vital Sign program has funded the @wyssinstitute to develop a human organ-on-a-chip model of menstruation, led by @DonIngber, also of @harvardmed and @bostonchildrens. “‘Women’s health has been ignored for so long—and that goes well beyond reproductive health,’ Ingber said. ‘This technology can break down that inequality and focus on women’s health in a direct way.’” On the advantages of organ-on-a-chip systems, Ingber explains: “We have the ability to control many different parameters individually … Is it exactly like in vivo? No. But that’s what every model is: It’s an approximation, and it’s much better than an animal model.” And for good reason: the animals most used in experiments—mice—do not have a menstrual cycle nor do they menstruate. To study human menstruation, human cells and tissues are essential. Without investing in human-relevant models like this, disparities in women’s health research will persist. news.harvard.edu/gazette/sto…

We’re proud to announce our “moonshot” vision for animal-free research! 🚀🧬 Working through @BioMed_21, our policy paper calls for a shift from animal models to modern non-animal methods that better protect humans & the environment, while saving animals. biomed21.org/wp-content/uplo…

Animal models of sepsis are inadequate. We need a different approach. Support the campaign by @peta to urge the UK Government to include sepsis as a priority topic in its strategy to phase out animal testing. ⤵️ secure.peta.org.uk/page/1797…

Explore drug toxicity across intestine, liver & kidney models simultaneously & in real-time. The new Multi-Organ Tox Plate enables real-time, automated, animal-free testing. Download the poster today. buff.ly/l4UaV6e @SartoriusGlobal #DrugDiscovery #Toxicology

“September is Sepsis Awareness Month, and in case you aren't familiar with this terrible condition, sepsis is an extreme and often fatal reaction to infection that kills nearly 11 million people worldwide each year and affects more than 48 million. It's responsible for 20% of all global deaths, meaning one in five people will die from sepsis. Despite its staggering toll, there is no dedicated cure. Current treatments focus on supportive care, not reversal or prevention of the condition. This lack of progress is not due to inaction but to misdirection. For decades, scientists have overwhelmingly relied on experiments on animals, yet not a single targeted, effective drug or treatment for sepsis has emerged. Despite this failure, experimenters still subject animals to cruel and painful procedures that cause suffering, organ failure and death.” Read more from @SAOscience’s Dr. Gabby Vidaurre in @FresnoBee: fresnobee.com/opinion/us-vie…

Congrats to @NKleinstreuer for leading by example. The increased NIH commitment to animal alternatives is such a breath of fresh air - investment starting with the 2012 Tissue Chips program (joint with DARPA) is paying off. Move over, mice! NIH is humanizing research.

"Traditional drug development often relies on 2D systems or animal models that poorly predict human outcomes, leading to high failure rates in clinical trials. Organoids, by contrast, offer human-derived models that better reflect patient responses."

Shocking fact: Over 90% of drugs that work in animals don't work in humans! 🐭➡️🙅‍♀️ This makes us wonder 🤔 how many cures have gone undiscovered because they failed in animal tests? We need a cultural shift in science from mouse-biology to human-biology as the gold standard!

Every 90-day drug safety study can sacrifice 80 animals, but there’s a better way. Quasi Vivo® offers low-shear, human-cell systems, accurately modeling human biology without animals. Discover ethical, reliable research at: kirkstall.com #AnimalFreeResearch

New in Advanced Science: Our Human-on-a-Chip® platform was used to create what is believed to be the first digital twin from an organ-on-a-chip, predicting human efficacy and safety for antimalarial drugs. Read more: buff.ly/ZLqcigu #DigitalTwin #OrganOnAChip #NAMs

.@NIH has announced that it will no longer fund new grant proposals that rely solely on animal experiments—a shift that we've been advocating for decades! 👏 This will save the lives of countless animals while also prioritizing human health! TY @DrJBhattacharya & @NKleinstreuer!

Millions of animals will be spared thanks to NIH’s shift toward non-animal, human-relevant research! NIH’s Dr. Nicole Kleinstreuer just said what PETA has known all along: testing on animals is holding back progress for human health.

In this new review by @AFR_UK, @laurenhope97 and Dr. Jarrod Bailey discuss why species differences critically matter in biomedical research and identify strategies to advance human-relevant methodologies. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.…