Positive : Insights

The Wistar Hannover rat (e.g., RccHan®:WIST and HsdHan®:WIST) is widely used in toxicology and carcinogenicity studies, which are necessary for regulatory approval of new drugs and chemicals. The advantages of these models are numerous, leading to beneficial economic impacts, enhanced research outcomes, and closer adherence to the 3Rs. Envigo has a long history with the Wistar Hannover rat, and is uniquely placed to help researchers capitalize on its advantages. Below, we discuss the history of the model and our role in its maintenance, and explore some of the benefits the model offers in more detail.

The Wistar Hannover rat was developed at the Wistar Institute in 1906 as a model organism for use in medical research. More than half of all laboratory rat strains are descended from the original colony, including the well-known Sprague Dawley and Long Evans rats.Envigo has maintained the original RccHan^®:WIST rat, developed from the Wistar Institute colony, for nearly two decades.As such, unlike competitive models,theEnvigo RccHan^®:WIST rat has been maintained from the original nucleus of 156 breeding pairs from the Hannover Institute, where the model was transferred in 1960.

Envigo’s global breeding and genetic integrity assurance program employedin the RccHan®:WIST stock reduces inbreeding and maintains maximum heterogeneity between animals within the colony. All RccHan®:WIST colonies are genetically tested on an annual basis using a custom 96 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker panel to assess allelic frequencies within and between colonies worldwide.

In January 2020, the Director-General of the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. For scientists, this confirmedthe urgent need to develop mass-scale testing for the disease, and find treatments that would prevent infection or reduce symptoms. We have come a long way since then. Testing and identification programs across the globe are limiting the spread of the virus, and the first vaccines – with emergency-use authorization in several regions – are already being administered to those most likely to become seriously ill if infected.

Antibody production has been critical in the fight against COVID-19. We spoke with our antibody production specialist, Rook Khajenouri, about how antibodies have taken center stage during the pandemic.

Pre-clinical models underpin some of the most exciting discoveries in neuroscience. For example, over the last three decades, animal models have enabled scientists to describe how we navigate our environment and uncover the mechanisms by which this ability is lost in Alzheimer's disease. These models are fundamental tools in characterizing the neural pathways that control coordinated movement, driving discoveries of pathological changes in those pathways that lead to the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

There are many uses for custom antibodies in research, from developing therapeutics to their use inin vitroassays. Production of antibodies is a technically demanding and time-consuming process, and it’s critical to choose a supplier with a strong track record. Here, we talk with Rook Khajenouri – our antibody production specialist at Envigo – about some key factors to consider when using antibodies in research. Rook also discussed how highly skilled specialists at research organizations like Envigo can contribute at each stage of the production process, from initial decision making to scaled-up production.

The quality of preclinical research is key to the successful translation of new drugs to the clinic. An important driver of this quality is a healthy, meticulously managed, and accurately characterized animal colony. To achieve this requires dedication and experience, and success depends critically on state-of-the-art facilities, expertise in technologies and colony management practices, as well as comprehensive health and genetic monitoring protocols. How can researchers ensure flexible access to a reliable supply of these high-quality models? Well, there’s an art to it.

Surgically modified animal models play a critical role in biomedical research, allowing researchers to mimic the structural and functional properties of human conditions. However, it is only with highly consistent, standardized models that researchers can be confident their results are reliable and repeatable. Yet, maintaining the technical skills necessary to complete precise surgical procedures is costly and time consuming for individual research laboratories. As a result, time-poor research teams are increasingly recognizing the value that contract research services can add.

It is well established that personalized medicine can overcome some limitations of a one-size-fits-all approach to healthcare. In research and practice, personalized medicine is being increasingly utilized. For example, it is playing an increased role in efficacy studies for biomarker-driven therapies and informs treatment.

然而,对于该领域进一步发展,产品开发lopment of highly characterized pre-clinical models is essential in order to evaluate new targeted therapies and increase the scope of actionable mutations in the clinic. One such model, which helps bridge the preclinical research and the clinic, is the patient-derived xenografts (PDX) - where tissue from a patient's tumor is implanted into an immunodeficient or humanized mouse.

Using PDX models in research means that mutations seen in the clinic can be factored into the discovery pipeline from the earliest phases of a research program, in the preclinical setting. Andrew Brown, Global Product Manager at Envigo explains how this approach could transform the future of cancer treatments:

"PDX models allow us to work backwards from the clinic, so that development phases can target the mutations seen in patients. We can then go on to screen for those mutations in other patients, offering the opportunity to pair up an individual with the treatment that's been targeted to a true representation of their tumor."

Effective colony management ensures reproducible research outcomes and adherence to the principles of the 3Rs. Cryopreservation and rederivation services are highly effective tools for meeting these standards but are not yet broadly used.Recent researchhas revealed that many laboratory professionals are unaware of the benefits of cryopreservation and rederivation for effective colony management, which may explain the variable uptake of these services across facilities.

现在,研究diffic后恢复ulties posed by COVID-19, researchers are keenly aware of the need to consider proactive disaster-mitigation strategies within their colony management plans. With this additional focus in mind, cryopreservation and rederivation services are uniquely placed to bolster efficiency, embed 3R principles, and ensure research continuity in the face of unseen circumstances.

The shift in research priorities due to COVID-19 has required rapid adjustment across the biomedical sector. The speed and effectiveness of this response supports our current scientific understanding of the virus, and will eventually lead to the delivery of symptomatic treatments and preventative vaccines.

In particular, animal research is critical in the global search for a treatment or vaccine for COVID-19. Rodent models are advancing our understanding of the virus itself, and research in non-human primates canensure the safety profile of potential therapies, before they proceed to human trials.

However, animal research organizations are experiencing the same COVID-19 related complications as any other industry. For those who provide the tools and services necessary for this research, it has been a prominent concern to ensure scientists continue to have access to what they need.

Below, we highlight some of the ways the industry has adapted since the pandemic began:

Why is the shortage in non-human primates such a serious issue for the scientific community?

Non-human primates (NHPs) are critical for clinical development pathways of new drug applications, but NHP suppliers are currently struggling to meet an unprecedented surge in global demand.

ANational Institute of Health(NIH) survey of grants awarded between 2013 and 2017 revealed that nearly half of NIH-funded investigators reported difficulty in obtaining sufficient numbers of NHPs or related services for their research. The implications of this include critical delays in study initiation and widespread requests for grant extensions. These are driven by stretched timelines and increased costs, unforeseen when grant amounts were originally requested.