THE OFFICE OF RESEARCH

ANIMAL RESEARCH AND CARE

Frequently Asked Questions About Animal Research and Care at UCSF

2. What are some examples of UCSF animal research studies that led to improving human health?

Animal research has led to the development of vaccines to prevent polio, measles and rubella, penicillin and other antibiotics to treat bacterial infections, insulin to treat diabetes, therapies for cancer, heart disease and HIV/AIDS, and surgical treatments for children and adults.

At UCSF, medical advances resulting from animal studies include:

Saving lives of premature infants

After identifying a substance in the lungs called surfactant that is necessary for normal breathing, a UCSF scientist spent three decades studying lung disease and conducting research in animals. The absence of surfactant is common in premature infants because their immature lungs are unable to produce the substance. The result is respiratory distress syndrome, which is the leading cause of death in newborns. The animal studies led to development of an artificial form of surfactant, and its use is now credited with saving the lives of tens of thousands of premature infants every year worldwide.

Developing HIV treatments

Working with a mouse model developed 10 years ago by a UCSF/Gladstone Institute scientist, AIDS researchers continue to test new antiviral drugs and explore the mechanisms of HIV/AIDS. The mouse model has a human-like blood-forming system and, therefore, can be used as a surrogate for humans in testing drugs or conducting studies aimed at understanding how the disease advances.

Pioneering the field of fetal intervention

A UCSF research team working with animals pioneered the entire field of fetal intervention, in which medical specialists reach inside the uterus to correct a life-threatening problem in the fetus before birth. In addition to developing procedures for intervening in the health of the fetus, these animal studies led to successful treatments that safeguard the life of the mother and her reproductive potential. Because of the innovative treatments developed at UCSF, fetal treatments centers are now open all over the world.

Treating heart disorders

UCSF heart researchers pioneered the development of catheter ablation techniques that cure heart rhythm disorders. The procedure involves threading a tiny catheter through a vein and into the heart and using a pin prick of heat to disconnect a faulty electrical circuit there. Before UCSF researchers perfected the technique through animal studies, open heart surgery was often the only means of treating the disorders in people.

Revealing the causes of neurodegenerative diseases

UCSF studies in rodents in the 1980s led to the discovery that several rare neurodegenerative diseases in animals and humans are caused by an infectious protein. The finding has provided new insights into more common neurodegenerative diseases that involve protein misprocessing, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), with the goal of developing effective treatments. A UCSF scientist received the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for this work.

Understanding the brain’s capacity for change

UCSF researchers exploring fundamental brain processes, such as the way that brain neurons communicate to form connections during early development, conduct studies with animals. These studies helped pioneer the understanding of the brain’s plasticity, or capacity for change. Their ongoing research, aimed at taking advantage of this plasticity, could lead to treatments for such conditions as cerebral palsy, stroke and spinal cord injury.

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