As part of our ‘Shall it stay or shall it go?’ campaign we’ve been asking you about the future of animal research in Europe.

Well it seems that some of the scientists who work in this area have given their verdict: they want it to stay and are more than a little worried about what they see as myths around animal studies.

The folks who run the Understanding Animal Research website have brought together concerned researchers from the UK to create the Science Action Network.

The group wants scientists to enter the debate which it says has been characterised by inaccuracies and confusion, partly because scientists have been reluctant to speak up.

They are asking scientists to give five minutes per week to reply to misinformation on the internet and social media channels. There’s even a dedicated Twitter hashtag – #ARnonsense – which they want scientists to use when debunking myths, and a Facebook page where researchers are encouraged to weigh in on videos and articles about animal science.
 

So, dear reader, the question is: will it work?

Are scientists the right people to discuss the ethics of animal research? Does the campaign target the right people through the right channels? What about the tone? Do you find it abrasive, irreverent – or both?

I don’t know if this kind of awareness and fund raising is ‘a first’, none-the-less it is certainly honest and brave; particularly in a country of animal lovers and a recent history of outspoken animal rights activism.

So what’s behind the fundraising? Researchers have been studying the tiny zebrafish to understand its ability to rebuild its own damaged heart cells. The hope being, if we can understand how they do it, it will lead to finding a way to coax human hearts to repair themselves after injury brought on by a heart attack. Within five years the foundation hopes to see the beginning of early clinical (human) trials and within 10 years, full trials. Within a further decade, people living with heart failure could literally be healing their own hearts.

To learn from the zebrafish, researchers remove about 20% of its heart, and then they monitor the fish over a couple of weeks as the heart regenerates. Apparently the zebrafish struggle to swim for a few days, but within a month appears to be perfectly normal. Traditionally heart disease research was performed on mice and guinea pigs, however the zebrafish and its larvae have helped to minimize their use.

In the UK alone, heart failure affects over 750,000 people a year, with the problem only growing. When you have a heart attack, a part of the heart muscle dies. This irreversible damage can lead to heart failure as the heart is not pumping as efficiently as it should. Common causes are lack of exercise, poor diet, smoking, drinking, high blood pressure and stress.

I am glad to see that part of the British Heart Foundation’s campaign also includes the promotion of a change in lifestyle, which could positively impact the upward trend in heart disease. I’m sure the Zebrafish would appreciate it too.

Visit the British Heart Foundation to learn more about this work.