Report 2023

Reducing the number of animals by introducing a new method for better evaluating the dynamics of metastatic burden in vivo

Globally increasing levels of cancer represent one of the biggest challenges for public health in the 21st century. Metastases are the most frequent cause of death in cancer patients, and in vivo models for the spread of metastases are of paramount importance for all approaches to developing medicines. The non-invasive monitoring of metastatic spread in mice usually calls for sophisticated imaging processes, which are time-consuming and require frequent anaesthesia. This stresses the animals and leads to a greater experimental variance. Using dual luciferase enzymes to monitor the metastatic burden in living animals reduces data variability, leading to a reduction in animal numbers. 

Project name: Method for better evaluating the dynamics of metastatic burden in vivo
Charter articles: 1, 2