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NC3Rs | 20 Years: Pioneering Better Science

NC3Rs cardiovascular portfolio

Projects in the NC3Rs cardiovascular portfolio focus on four key areas:

1. Developing new cardiovascular models

Our Project Grant and PhD Studentship schemes support the development and validation of new cardiovascular models. This includes 12 Studentships funded in collaboration with the British Heart Foundation.

Models which have been developed include:

2. Transfer of established cardiovascular models

We have supported the transfer of cardiovascular models between laboratories.

3. Working with industrial partners to commercialise technologies

CRACK IT has brought cardiovascular researchers from academia and industry together to produce assays for cardiac drug testing.

4. Refinement of procedures used in cardiovascular research

Our refinement projects aim to improve welfare where animal use is necessary for cardiovascular research.

  • Refining an established model of hypertension in the mouse. Professor Susan Brain (King’s College London) demonstrated that handling techniques associated with the commonly used tail-cuff method of measuring blood pressure in mice used in cardiovascular research can result in a stress response which can raise blood pressure and affect the reliability of experimental results. Susan evaluated the stress response associated with different aspects of the tail-cuff method and published her findings for other researchers to consider when performing experiments.

See the full list of cardiovascular models that we have funded in our Portfolio.

If you would like to discuss using any of the models developed with NC3Rs funding in your cardiovascular research please contact Dr Rachel Eyre (Rachel.eyre@nc3rs.org.uk).

 

Return to the cardiovascular hub to learn more about our new Cardiovascular Network, find funding opportunities and view NC3Rs resources useful for cardiovascular researchers developing 3Rs models.

Graphic showing an anotomical heart, blood cells and ECG readout.