EARA has published a new feature article looking at the use of animals in cancer research, and the breakthroughs in understanding and treating cancer this has led to.
The article looks at how the discovery, in rat tumours, of the HER2 protein, and subsequent research and tests in mice, hamsters and monkeys led to the development of the major breast cancer drug, Herceptin – improving survival rates for patients by over a third.
Other aspects that are examined are how the animals are used from basic research to genetic modification, looking at case studies from around the world, as well as the different types of cancers that involve animal studies.
The article also explores how cancer research in animals can benefit the animals themselves – by helping to find treatments for a range of cancers that they are also susceptible to.
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