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EARA Newsletter

24 de Novembro de 2025

 
 

EARA News Digest 2025 - Week 48


Welcome to your Monday morning update, from EARA, on the latest news in biomedical science, policy and openness on animal research. 

This week: Animals and humans are facing the same diseases; Berlin Science Week event on animal research; Beethoven shapes female and male mice brains differently.

Animals and humans are facing the same diseases 

A new study from Greece has found that animals are increasingly affected by non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as cancer, diabetes and obesity – conditions that are also increasingly common in humans. Understanding the shared factors contributing to these diseases could help improve both veterinary and human health.  

Antonia Mataragka, from the Agricultural University of Athens, conducted a systematic review of recent surveys and found that 50–60% of domestic cats and dogs are overweight, as well as a higher incidence of diabetes in cats over the past 20 years. The incidence of liver tumours has risen up to 25% in wild animals such as fish and marine mammals. In livestock, 20% of intensively reared pigs have osteoarthritis. 

According to the study, contributing factors in pets and livestock include genetic predispositions linked to selective breeding and environmental factors such as poor diet, limited activity and stress. For wildlife, the study suggests that ecological changes driven by urbanisation and human activities could contribute to increasing disease risk.  

"While organizations like the World Health Organization provide extensive data on NCD mortality in humans, similar detailed statistics for animals are scarce. This indicates the need for more comprehensive research and enhanced surveillance in veterinary health to better understand and address these issues," said Antonia Mataragka, author of the study published in Risk Analysis.

 

 

Berlin Science Week event on animal research 

An EARA Conference satellite event at Berlin Science Week, co-organised by communications organisation Tierversuche verstehen (TVV), Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Max Delbrück Center and EARA, titled "Turning point in health research – Responsibility and communication in dealing with animal research”, featured a panel discussion on the future of biomedical research in Germany. 

The event was moderated by Roman Stilling, from TVV and an EARA board member, and included Adrian Grasse, a member of the German federal parliament; Anna Löwa, researcher at Charité; Stefan Treue, Director of the German Primate Center; Klaus Kronewitz, a patient advocate; and Julia Koch, journalist at Der SPIEGEL. 

Adrian Grasse highlighted progress in technologies that allow the replacement of animals but warned against neglecting reduction and refinement. He emphasised the need for an animal research law to harmonise practices across German states, raising the concern that current bureaucratic burdens in Germany could motivate researchers to leave the country. 

Anna Löwa, who works exclusively with non-animal methods, praised the growing focus on transparency and animal welfare and highlighted developments in human-cell models, cautioning that, “it’s vital to be clear on what these models can and cannot do”, since media hype around breakthroughs can mislead the public. Stefan Treue also noted how the scientific community, spurred by the COVID-19 crisis and a growing presence of science-skeptical discourse in public and political debates, now sees communication as essential. Still, he stressed that many institutions remain hesitant to speak out and researchers are often too stretched to engage publicly. While authenticity lies with those doing the research, the responsibility of public engagement should not lie solely on them. Klaus Kronewitz urged for deeper patient involvement in research design, as patients “understand best what they need and what they don’t,” while Julia Koch shared examples of successful public engagement, including research using non-human primates. Agreeing with other interventions, she argued: “If you question the necessity of animal studies, you must also critically evaluate the capabilities of the alternatives.” 

 

 

Beethoven shapes female and male mice brains differently 

Scientists in Israel have found that sounds experienced by mice early in life shape male and female auditory preferences, suggesting that the same experiences affect brain development differently according to sex. 

Scientists at EARA member the Hebrew University of Jerusalem exposed young mice to the first movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, non-music sounds or silence. After a few weeks, they exposed the same mice to different sounds and silence in chambers where the mice could navigate freely. Male mice exposed to silence or non-music sounds in early-life avoided music as adults, suggesting an aversion to new sound environments, while the ones that listened to Beethoven in early life preferred different sounds. Female mice, in contrast, were less affected by early life exposure to sounds and had mixed preferences in adulthood, despite their previous experiences. By recording the neural activity in their auditory cortex, they found higher activity in female mice that disliked music, but no connection between the brain activity of male mice and their sound preferences.  

"Our findings in mice intriguingly suggest that sound preferences rely on mechanisms that operate differently in males and females. Understanding those differences could shed light on how early sensory experiences shape emotional and cognitive development," said Israel Nelken, leader of the study published in Cell Reports. 

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