“Red-NLAM” - reducing numbers in laboratory animal models (through improved artificial reproduction rates)

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In the UK alone, 1.8 million mice were used in breeding programmes for production oftransgenic mice in 2012, according to Home office figures (about 48% of all animal used inresearch).The creation of genetically modified animals, primarily mice and rats, has revolutionised ourunderstanding of disease processes in animal models. Transgenic biotechnologies utilise largenumbers of animals: females and males to generate embryos for genetic manipulation,females to provide a host uterus to support the development of embryos, and infertile males toinduce ‘pseudopregnancy’ in recipient females. Pseudopregnancy is necessary for the uterusto become receptive to transplanted embryos and is achieved by mating foster females with avasectomised (infertile) male, whose seminal fluid contains an active array of proteins andother factors. Whilst we can’t replace females for superovulation and pregnancy, we havedemonstrated in a previous Proof of Concept study that vasectomised males can be replacedaltogether.The objective of this project is the development of a prototype vaginal pessary system thatsupersedes the use of vasectomised males in the induction of pseudopregnancy and enhancestransgenic embryo implantation rates in the host mothers. These novel pessaries containsubstances that have been identified in mouse seminal fluid that mimic the beneficial effectsof semen without the need for vasectomised males or the large numbers of female miceneeded to produce enough pseudopregnant mice.