New insights into treating inherited eye diseases have been gained, by researchers in Ireland, studying vision problems in zebrafish.

Diseases affecting the retina – the part of the eye responsible for detecting light and converting it into signals to the brain – can often lead to severe vision loss or blindness, if left untreated.

Often these diseases can be inherited and caused by mutations in genes, although it is not always clear how this leads to loss of sight.  

To address this, researchers at EARA member University College Dublin (UCD), generated mutations at random in the zebrafish genome, before analysing which fish showed characteristics of blindness.

The team saw that zebrafish specifically with a mutation in a gene called Emc1 had abnormally shaped eye cells and were not able to process light as effectively, highlighting the important role of EMC1 in retinal health. 

Tess McCann, at UCD, said: “[Zebrafish are] an extremely useful tool for studying eye diseases and finding new treatments. Our research shows the vital role of Emc1 in vision and lays the groundwork for exploring potential solutions to its dysfunction.”

A Canadian researcher has given some fascinating insights into the critical and controversial role of animal research, specifically in cancer studies, in the podcast series What the HEK Is Immunotherapy?

In the episode, How the HEK do we care for research animals?, invited guest, Michael Brunt (pictured), a postdoctoral fellow in veterinary sciences at the University of Guelph, and a former animal welfare technician, discussed ethics, global regulations, and the future of animal research with hosts Gillian Savage, of the University of British Columbia and Pauline Loo, of the British Columbia Research Cancer Institute, who both work in immunology.

Differences in legislation between Canada, the UK, and the US, were discussed, as well as the role of international organisations like EARA member ICLAS (International Council for Laboratory Animal Science), in harmonising research protocols.

Brunt stressed the importance of public pressure and peer-reviewed journals in driving robust ethical standards, particularly with the reproducibility problem that science is facing in general.

Mice were identified as primary models in cancer research due to their genetic compatibility and rapid breeding cycles, but he also discussed the use of dogs in clinical cancer trials conducted alongside human studies, and said: "Choosing the most scientifically relevant animal model is critical."

Animal models remain essential for addressing complex questions in cancer research that non-animal methods, or new approach methodologies (NAMs), cannot yet answer.

Brunt emphasised that, 'animal research must be conducted transparently to maintain public trust', stating that many scientists underestimate the capacity of the public to understand why animal research is needed. Especially, as he said, because animal research 'isn’t going anywhere'.