What to know about ocular cell and gene therapies

Cell and gene therapy (CGT) development for the eye differs from CGT development for other parts of the body. Discover more of the unique traits, regulatory guidelines and strategies necessary for ocular CGTs in our new Cell and Gene Therapy Answers video.

Assessing infiltrating lymphoid activation state in human samples via a new 30-color spectral flow cytometry panel

SITC 2024 -- Flow cytometry is a common method to assess immune cell infiltration into tumors. Spectral flow cytometers are now being used to develop larger antibody panels to increase the number of immune markers analyzed. With a focus on immunotherapy and adoptive cell therapy, we have developed the 30-color Spectral CompLymphocyte™ Panel using the Cytek® Aurora Spectral Flow Cytometer. The panel backbone includes viability and 10 lineage markers to measure live T, NK and B cell subsets. Nineteen additional functional markers enable the characterization of activation, exhaustion, cytotoxicity and proliferation in each subset, plus memory T cell subset delineation.

Replenishment of nutrients via iron-rich treats after blood collection in canines

National AALAS 2024 -- In the realm of animal research, the process of blood collection is a crucial step for obtaining necessary data required in the drug development process. Although each individual collection may seem relatively small, the cumulative impact may become significant when multiple time points or multiple blood samples are required. This rapid accumulation may result in a continuous loss of red blood cells (RBC) without adequate replenishment, ultimately leading to acute anemia in animals. This could potentially influence study data. The consequences of anemia and/or iron deficiency, stemming from continuous blood loss, manifest in various clinical observations such as lethargy, fatigue, pale mucous membranes and more. It is noteworthy that the stress induced by repeated collections alone can contribute to these symptoms. Most importantly, these clinical signs may erroneously be attributed to the test article rather than recognizing them as outcomes of the routine demands for data collection. Larger study designs, such as toxicokinetic (TK) studies may require higher blood volumes collected more frequently, increasing the possibility of these consequences. To address this issue and uphold the optimal health and safety of laboratory animals, we propose the implementation of an evidence-based approach. Specifically, we advocate for supplementing animals with an iron-rich treat immediately after blood collection. This implementation serves a dual purpose – rewarding the animals for positive behavior during the collection process and efficiently replenishing the lost RBC. By doing so, we aim to mitigate the possible adverse effects of repeated blood collections, ensuring accurate research outcomes while prioritizing the well-being of the laboratory animals. 

Artificial intelligence: A new tool to enhance animal welfare and research outcomes?

National AALAS 2024 -- Timely provision of veterinary care, through proactive monitoring conducted by knowledgeable and skilled research professionals, is an essential element of all high-quality animal care and use programs. To complement these activities, we have successfully developed and validated a nonhuman primate (NHP) welfare monitoring tool that uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to identify when an animal may need veterinary care.

The effects of buprenorphine extended release 10 mg/mL on localized ocular pain compared to buprenorphine 0.5 mg/mL USP

National AALAS 2024 -- Intravitreal (IVT) injections are an invasive ocular procedure often used as a delivery method for experimental compounds. In nonhuman primates, post-procedural pain is common and frequently treated with buprenorphine, a safe and effective synthetic opioid. A site-wide change was implemented, incorporating buprenorphine extended release (ER) 10 mg/mL into the existing pain management protocol for IVT injections due to its longer lasting effects. Buprenorphine ER 10 mg/mL has an analgesia length of 48-72 hours. A meta-analysis was conducted comparing the use of standard buprenorphine 0.5 mg/mL USP and buprenorphine ER 10 mg/mL in frequency of painful observations. The goal of this process change was to increase animal welfare by the reduction of animal handling, number of injections and severity of post-procedural pain.

Utilization of broth-infused gauze wipes for canine oral gavage dosing

National AALAS 2024 -- Dose administration via oral gavage, while common in laboratory animal research, requires well-trained and careful technicians to maintain animal health, welfare and data integrity. An animal reacting during dose administration can cause many complications, including increased stress for animals and technical staff, increased indices of behavior-based observations and the risk of a dosing-related error. This can compromise research data, as it can be difficult to distinguish a transient adverse reaction or observation versus the stress stemming from repetitive restraint and procedures. Typically, during oral gavage-dosing, a gauze square that has been submerged in water and wrung out is used to wipe the gavage tube prior to placement. We propose a slight alteration to this process by utilizing broth-infused gauze wipes (one/animal) during dose administration to help alleviate the stress caused by the procedure while also rewarding the animals with a sapid treat. We noted in a 40-dog oral gavage study and a BID 32-dog oral gavage study, both over a course of 28 days, that the introduction of broth wipes caused a moderate decrease in clinical observations relating to dosing. Utilizing data from these two studies, we can conclude that the introduction of broth wipes during oral gavage procedures can moderately reduce clinical observations including vocalizations during gavage tube placement and the number of animals reacting during dose administration. This trial study was conducted using a control group that follows our standard gavage process and two separate groups of different flavored broth (beef and chicken). Behavior during dosing is assessed during this trial study using a scoring system to determine if the use of broth is beneficial for oral gavage dosing.

Case report: Single gene testing and comprehensive genomic profiling in non-small cell lung cancer - a case series of divergent results from a large reference laboratory

Socially housing male CD-1® mice in a laboratory environment: A two-phase study

National AALAS 2024 -- Male mice live socially together in the wild. Typically, in groups of one sexually mature male and multiple females. Due to animal welfare concerns, some facilities moved toward single housing of males. Laboratories have success when submissive males have space to escape aggressor, and the cage has adequate resources to mitigate resource guarding. The goal of this study was to find a solution to socially house male mice while making minimal adjustments to current facility housing standards.

Novel approaches to social housing and enrichment to improve welfare for rabbits, rats, guinea pigs and mice

National AALAS 2024 -- Over the past year, our team has been working on ways to provide additional social and environmental enrichment, and we have introduced pool parties to our rabbits, guinea pigs and rats. During this time, we also started housing our mice in larger, rat polycarbonates cages, giving them double the space that they were used to. We also added more enrichment for the rabbits and guinea pigs, such as loose hay stuffed in toys and frozen fruit treats. Overall, we saw many positive changes in the animals, their environments and the way they interacted with staff.