Dr Hadwen Trust Receives Largest Intake Of Humane Research Grant Applications In 40-Year History

Scientists are showing an increasing interest in using and developing new techniques without the use of animals to advance medical research, says the Dr Hadwen Trust for Humane Research (DHT). The charity has received a record number of applications from scientists seeking funding to develop non-animal techniques in medical research but says that more funding is needed to harness the full potential of these technologies.

The Dr Hadwen Trust is the UK’s leading medical research charity funding exclusively non-animal techniques, with a portfolio of projects at universities, hospitals and research institutes across Britain. The charity currently awards up to £700,000 in grants annually in a wide range of medical fields such as cancer, neurological diseases and cardiovascular conditions, to name a few.

Grant applications to the Dr Hadwen Trust that meet the charity’s strict scientific and ethical criteria are short-listed for peer review by a panel of external experts specialised in the particular field of interest.

This year the charity received 120 research applications for funding, a record 500% increase on the previous year. This is the highest number of applications ever received in the DHT’s forty year history; a 114% increase compared to the highest intake in 2003. The DHT says that such an increasing interest from scientists from all fields to advance medical research and replace animal experiments is a very positive and significant step forward.

An impressive range of cutting-edge research approaches, including advanced 3D cell culture techniques, computer modeling and non-invasive brain scanning are being proposed by scientists dedicated to improving medical progress by replacing often inadequate or poorly performing animal models with more human-relevant techniques.

“The limitations of using animals are becoming increasingly acknowledged within the scientific community. This is reflected by the increase in the number of grant applications where applicants are motivated by a desire to improve the quality of their research and replace animals with more human-relevant advanced methods and technologies.” says Dr Sebastien Farnaud, Science Director of the DHT. “The ethical responsibility to tackle animal suffering is also a key factor, with many of the proposals having the potential to replace the use of thousands of animals each year.”

The DHT has a forty-year history of funding innovative research that advances medical progress and saves human and animal lives. Past DHT successes include funding early stage research which led to a non-animal method to replace the Draize rabbit test for severe eye irritancy; ground-breaking research in the early 1990s that pioneered the development of the non-invasive MEG brain scanner (magnetoencephalography) to study the human brain and replace invasive experiments on cats and monkeys, and in 2009 the first three-dimensional multi-cellular model of a form of human breast cancer.

The charity’s current research portfolio includes development of further three-dimensional human tissue structures with targeted gene disruptions that replace genetically modified mice; use of fibroblasts as a new disease model for Huntington’s disease; and an advanced brain research tool called dual-site transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), instead of invasive experiments on primates, to study brain function in humans.

However, even as the UK’s largest charity funder of non-animal replacement research, the Dr Hadwen Trust will not be able to fund each and every highly relevant application as more funding is needed to develop the full potential and make use of such advanced research.

Says Kailah Eglington, Chief Executive of the Dr Hadwen Trust:
“Non-animal replacement techniques represent some of the most exciting and advanced technological approaches that medical science has to offer, so it is encouraging to see an increased interest from more scientists across all fields. At the same time, it’s disheartening to see that so many of these replacement solutions might never be explored because of insufficient funding. We call upon the public to help raise more vital funds to pursue better and more ethical medical research.”

Find out here how you can make a difference by supporting our non-animal medical research.

PETA Names London World’s Most Vegetarian-Friendly City

London – The city known for its iconic Beefeater guards has been named the most vegetarian-friendly city in the world by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
 
Long-time PETA supporter Paul McCartney said, “After 40 years of touring as a vegetarian, I’m proud to say that when it comes to eating, there’s no place like home”.

Adds Mayor of London Boris Johnson, “London has soared to the top of the world’s culinary league tables in recent years, boasting a mind-boggling range of eateries. We have a noble history of vegetarianism, so it is great news to be crowned the best city on earth to enjoy meat-free nosh. We are helping to cultivate a taste for all things veggie by supporting green-fingered efforts by all Londoners to grow their own fresh fruit and veg”.

PETA, which has 2 million members and supporters worldwide, named London the winner after considering not only the city’s numerous vegetarian restaurants but also its massive variety of meatless ethnic cuisine and the fact that grocery stores and even steakhouses promote the mushrooming number of vegan options with a green “V” on menus and labels.
 
To coincide with the announcement, PETA is releasing a video short hosted by McCartney. “People ask me every day why I became a vegetarian, and I felt that in this case – unlike in my songs – images speak louder than words”, he says. In the video, which debuts 7 December on PETA.org.uk, McCartney shows viewers what happens on factory farms and discusses the recent UN report revealing that meat production is responsible for 18 per cent of global carbon emissions – more than all the cars, planes, trains and boats in the world combined.
 
London first became a hotbed for vegetarians during the Enlightenment in the 18th century, when British society explored diverse religious philosophies – especially those from the East. The city’s first Vegetarian Society was formed in 1849. As immigrants from around the world settled in the city, their often meatless ethnic cuisine appealed to Londoners’ trendy tastes. Greek and Israeli falafel and hummus shops are now found in every neighbourhood, as are Indian veggie curry houses.
 

For a roundup of some of the best vegetarian dining in London, please visit this Time Out London guide, which declares that “[a] new generation of vegetarian and vegan restaurants – many of them offering fine dining and non-meat menus – is transforming the way Londoners eat”.

The other cities on PETA’s top-five list are Los Angeles, New York, Melbourne and Mumbai.

Cat Returns From Spain Ferry Trip

BBC News:

A cat that went missing in Hampshire turned up on a cross-channel ferry as it arrived in Bilbao, Spain.

Sandy the ginger tom went missing from his home in Lee-on-Solent on 10 December.

He was discovered on the vehicle deck of the Pride of Bilbao as it docked at the Spanish port on Monday morning and returned to the UK the next day…

New Forest Animal Rescue Centre Must Raise More Funds Or Close

Bournemouth Echo:

A New Forest animal rescuer has appealed for further festive funding in a bid to keep her vital service up and running into the New Year.

Kim Taylor, who runs New Forest Animal Rescue, says they cannot take any more cases over the Christmas period, putting animals’ lives at risk.

The service, which takes in cats, dogs and rabbits from across the area and finds them foster homes, could cease to exist due to rising costs and expensive veterinary bills…

Man Jailed For Killing Kitten

Independent:

A man who abused and killed a kitten before putting it in a freezer was jailed today.

Joel Joshua White, 20, threw 10-week old kitten Pepsi, which belonged to the woman he was staying with, against a curtain before balancing it on a lampshade suspended from the ceiling and watching as it fell to the floor…

Sweden To Resume Hunting Wolves After 45 Years

Times Online:

A wolf hunt that will decimate Sweden’s lupine population has been sanctioned for the first time in nearly half a century.

The Swedish parliament has voted to allow 27 of the animals to be killed with special permits during a limited hunting season in January, after the authorities decided to limit the country’s wolf population to about 210…

Iqaluit City Council Allow Animal Officers To Destroy Unclaimed Strays

 CBCNews:

Canada – No stray dogs have been euthanized in Iqaluit since an emergency measure was enacted to control a parvovirus outbreak, according to a city official.

On Friday, Iqaluit city council passed a temporary bylaw amendment allowing animal control officers to destroy any loose dogs that are unclaimed after 12 hours…

Octopus Uses Tools

Wildlife Extra:

Until now, tool use has been considered the preserve of the “higher” mammals and a few birds. However Museum Victoria scientist’s Drs Julian Finn and Mark Norman have recorded the first case of tool use in an invertebrate animal. The researchers have discovered dramatic behaviour by a tropical octopus that selects, stacks, transports and assembles coconut shells as portable armour…

Ricky Gervais And Chrissie Hynde Join BUAV Call To End Shockinig And Cruel Animal Botox Tests

BUAV is delighted that Ricky Gervais and Chrissie Hynde have joined its call to end the cruelty and suffering inflicted on mice for botox products. The campaign has been launched following a BUAV investigation that has revealed for the first time graphic and disturbing evidence of the suffering inflicted on hundreds of thousands of mice for botox testing and is calling on botox manufacturers such as Ipsen, Allergan and Merz-Pharma, to put an end to this appalling cruelty. Botox is used by huge numbers of people worldwide for cosmetic or vanity purposes – temporarily smoothing away wrinkles to enable people to look younger.While botox products undoubtedly have medical uses, a major use is for cosmetic purposes whether they are licensed for this use or used ‘off-label.’ The revelations of the suffering involved with just about every batch of botox that hits the high street has shocked members of the public and celebrities alike.The animal test used is the archaic poisoning test LD50 (lethal dose 50 – this is the dose at which 50% of the mice would be expected to die when injected with the toxin), one of the cruellest and most controversial tests carried out on animals.The test involves injecting mice in the abdomen with the botulinum toxin (botox). Within hours, signs of poisoning start to show. Many mice suffer increasing paralysis and difficulty breathing and then, if left unattended, will eventually suffocate to death. The level of suffering is appalling. No pain relief is given.There are alternatives available that the BUAV believes can be used instead of the cruel LD50, including a test called the SNAP-25. This method does not use live animals but instead measures the activity of the toxin in a test tube, can be used to replace the mouse LD50 tests.BUAV spokesperson, Sarah Kite said: “We are grateful for the support of celebrities such as Ricky Gervais and Chrissie Hynde. Animals should not have to continue to pay for our vanity by suffering and dying in these horrendous tests. Please join our call to help put an end to this unacceptable cruelty once and for all.”

Animal Welfare Charity Feud Ends

BBC News:

Peace has been declared in a long-running feud between two animal welfare charities, it has been confirmed.

The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals had accused its counterpart in England and Wales of “dirty tricks” over fundraising.

It had claimed the RSPCA was raising money in Scotland despite not operating there…