ProgenySys - Reducing numbers in laboratory animal models through improved artificial reproduction rates

转基因动物的创造，主要是小鼠和大鼠，彻底改变了我们对动物模型中疾病过程的理解。转基因生物技术利用大量的动物：雌性和雄性产生胚胎进行遗传操作，雌性提供宿主子宫以支持胚胎发育，不育雄性诱导受体雌性的“假孕”。仅在英国，2012年就有180万只小鼠被用于转基因小鼠的繁殖计划，科学家们被要求遵守“三R”（替代减少和改进）的原则，以尽量减少实验中使用的动物数量，并减少疼痛和痛苦。Ostara获得了IUK原型开发补助金，用于开发阴道子宫托系统，该系统取代了在诱导假孕中使用输精管切除的男性，并提高了宿主母亲的转基因胚胎植入率。这些新型子宫托含有已在小鼠精液中鉴定的物质，其模拟精液的有益作用，而不需要输精管切除的雄性或产生足够假孕小鼠所需的大量雌性小鼠。一个成功的实验开发项目将使Ostara能够完成开发并将产品推向市场。如果成功，它将减少75-80%的实验中使用的小鼠数量，并节省英国研究机构每年约8400万英镑

The creation of genetically modified animals, primarily mice and rats, has revolutionised our understanding of disease processes in animal models. Transgenic biotechnologies utilise large numbers 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 to induce ‘pseudopregnancy’ in recipient females. In the UK alone, 1.8 million mice were used in breeding programmes for production of transgenic mice in 2012 Scientists are required to comply with the principle of the “Three Rs” (Replacement Reduction and Refinement) to minimize the number of animals used in experimentation and to reduce pain and suffering. Ostara received an IUK Development of Prototype grant to develop a vaginal pessary system that supersedes the use of vasectomised males in the induction of pseudopregnancy and enhances transgenic embryo implantation rates in the host mothers. These novel pessaries contain substances that have been identified in mouse seminal fluid that mimic the beneficial effects of semen without the need for vasectomised males or the large numbers of female mice needed to produce enough pseudopregnant mice. A successful Experimental Development project will enable Ostara to complete development and introduce the product to market. If successful it will reduce the numbers of mice used in experimentation by 75-80% and save UK research establishments around £84M per year