|
Today's FeatureCalifornia Senate Considers Bill To Protect Animal ResearchersThe recent attacks on animal researchers in Santa Cruz have refocused attention on a bill aimed at protecting academic freedom. Assembly Bill 2296 would make it easier for police to cite individuals for trespassing and makes it a crime to post personal information of a researcher with the intent to incite violence. Sacramento Bee, 8/19. How do you repair damaged heart muscle? Which genetic mutations cause malignancies? Why does a drug effective for testicular cancer impair hearing? The answers to these weighty questions, and more, could lie in a little fish called the zebrafish. This 1-inch-long traditional aquarium pet has become the superstar of biomedical research labs. Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 8/15. New Imaging Technique Could Spot EarlyNanotechnology may offer doctors a noninvasive way to detect early stages of cancer and also help monitor treatment, a new report with mice says. HealthDay News, 8/19. Blood Protects Against Long-Gone Killer 1918 FluNearly a century after history's most lethal flu faded away, survivors' bloodstreams still carry super-potent protection against the 1918 virus, demonstrating the remarkable durability of the human immune system. Researchers manipulated those antibodies into a vaccine and found that it kept alive all the mice they had injected with the killer flu. Associated Press, 8/18. Treatment Advance For Drug-Resistant DiseasesA new weapon has been developed in mice in the war against drug-resistant diseases and it promises to result in more effective treatments for many of the most intractable illnesses, ranging from superbug infections to tuberculosis and cancer. The Independent (UK), 8/19. Scientists Suggest Stem Cell MonkeywrenchResearchers have found that human embryonic stem cells — widely touted as the next medical panacea — triggered an immune response in mice, which could limit the effectiveness of treatments derived from them. San Francisco Business Times, 8/19. "Bystander Effect" Hints At Dangers Of Low-Dose RadiationThat lead apron you wear during a dental x-ray is supposed to protect the rest of you from radiation. But it may not work very well, according to a new study. When cancer-prone mice were placed in lead containers and irradiated on just the lower half of their bodies, they developed brain tumors. The results suggest that radiation could be riskier than scientists thought. Science, 8/19. Stem Cells From Menstrual Blood Save LimbsStem cells derived from human menstrual blood have, in mice, prevented limbs with restricted blood flow from withering. Trials in humans facing amputations are expected to start next year. New Scientist, 8/19. Animal Activists Want Court Decision On Property Sale ReviewedAnimal rights activists who want to build a museum highlighting what they say is cruelty at UW-Madison's primate labs asked the state Supreme Court on Monday to review a lower court decision allowing a property owner to revoke his sale offer. Wisconsin State Journal (Madison), 8/19. The Foundation for Biomedical Research has prepared a full report from the 2008 Animal Rights National Conference which was held this past weekend. Here is a sampling of the type of information you will find in the report:
Session: Conducting Investigations The first two speakers focused mostly on agricultural issues, but Nathan Runkle of Mercy for Animals did mention the importance of knowing the taping and privacy laws of your state and mentioned that the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press is a great resource for finding out local taping laws. Matt Rossell of In Defense of Animals (IDA) discussed how he became an undercover investigator by chance when he was a security guard and came across a feline research lab and called PETA. He mentioned that he has been in lots and lots of infiltrations in labs, slaughterhouses, farms, and circuses. He spent more than two years at the Oregon National Primate Research Center and stated that these undercover investigations are the backbone of what activism is about, and he encouraged people to think about becoming infiltrators. Q&A: An audience member asked about the legal consequences and the AETA consequences of undercover investigations since it has become a federal crime to take a picture inside of an animal facility? Runkle responded by stating that the AETA is the reason that they switched from open investigations (breaking in and taking pictures) to employment investigations so that they weren’t breaking any laws. He said that he researches with his attorneys the laws before beginning any investigations.
For a copy of the full report in PDF format,
please contact info@fbresearch.org.
|
|
|||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
Manage your subscription 