3 Minute 3Rs podcast: June 2022 transcript

[NC3Rs]

It’s the third Thursday of June, and you’re listening to 3 Minute 3Rs, your monthly recap of efforts to replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research. This month, we’re starting with refinement, and how earlier intervention can help minimise pain and distress.

[NA3RsC]

The 3Rs are a common discussion in relationship to Humane Endpoints. This terminology is commonly interpreted as a predetermined criteria to perform euthanasia that may be prior to an experimental endpoint. However, this can result in protocols not fully consistent with all 3Rs.

In a recent paper, colleagues at Cornell University advocate changing terminology and practice to focus on Humane Intervention Points. This terminology encourages research and veterinary staff to work together to predetermine criteria for humane intervention during a study. These interventions include options beyond euthanasia such as efforts to prevent or alleviate pain and distress. Ultimately, these efforts ensure that both refinement and reduction are fully considered by promoting animal welfare and preserving experimental outcomes.

To learn more and for a practical example of using humane intervention points in relationship to body weight loss, read the full paper online.

[NC3Rs]

Next, a new virtual gene knockout tool that can be used to investigate gene function without using live animals.

Traditionally researchers have relied on animals that have had genes deactivated, or “knocked out”, to study the functions and effects of these genes, which can be inferred by identifying the differences between knockout animals and their wildtype counterparts.

The scTenifoldKnk tool provides an in silico alternative to this approach that only requires the input of expression data from wildtype samples, replacing the need for genetically modified animals.

As well as reducing the overall number of animals required to study gene function, this virtual tool allows the knockout of multiple genes to be investigated without the technical and welfare challenges associated with live-animal studies.

To learn more about how this tool was validated, and you could apply it in your own work, read the full article in Patterns.

And finally, ex vivo brain slices for Parkinson's research.

[LabAnimal]

Protein aggregation is a common characteristic of many neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson’s disease. However, modeling progressive protein accumulation is challenging, and novel preclinical approaches are needed to find potential therapies. In a new study, Moudio and colleagues (from Linköping University) used an organotypic brain slice culture model to study α-synuclein aggregation, a process believed to drive neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease.

In the report, the researchers describe the steps for long term culture of hippocampal brain slices from Sprague-Dawley rats and for the induction of α-synuclein aggregation. The hippocampal slices were viable for up to 57 days in culture, and preserved structure and electrophysiology. When treated with pre-formed fibrils of α-synuclein the model reproduced the cellular toxicity, autophagy activation and mitochondrial dysfunction observed in Parkinson’s disease, providing a robust replacement for in vivo studies that do not require behavioral experiments.

To learn more about this study, read the full paper in Frontiers in Neurology.

[NC3Rs]

That’s it for this month’s episode. 3 Minute 3Rs is brought to you each month by Lab Animal, the North American 3Rs Collaborative, and the NC3Rs. If you have another minute, please consider rating and reviewing the podcast wherever you listen so we can reach more potential listeners. Thanks for tuning in, we’ll see you again next month for another 3Rs update.