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  1. Science & Research

How We Innovate and Advance Emerging Technologies, Including 3Rs Research

Stories about our innovative regulatory research to improve how we protect human and animal health.

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The photo shows a scientist working with Organ on a Chip technology in a laboratory.

A scientist works with Organ on a Chip technology.

The animal health and food industries are highly innovative. CVM’s Office of Applied Science develops innovative approaches to ensure that animal health products are – and remain – safe, effective, and quality-manufactured and that food for animals and food from animals is safe to eat.

Learn more about our innovative research and how it improves human and animal health.

  • FDA Scientists Develop an Innovative Method to Test for Salmonella in Animal Food
  • CRISPR/Cas9 has revolutionized the field of genome editing and scientists at the Office of Applied Science (OAS) have been working to ensure that safety, manufacturing, and consistency implications of intentional genome alterations in food and drug producing animals are thoughtfully addressed through research driven data. Our current studies compare methods of editing reagent delivery, interrogate potential genomic implications of multiple editing events, and assess the ability of in vitro cell culture data to effectively model in vivo intentional genomic alterations. While the majority of our research utilizes mammalian cell culture as a replacement for animal use, the latter study includes side by side comparisons of tissue culture  and animal data to ascertain commonalities between in vitro and in vivo editing experiments, which could further reduce the number of animals required to produce necessary safety, manufacturing, or consistency data.
  • Veterinary stem cells, especially canine stem cells, are an area in veterinary medicine that lacks key safety information. OAS scientists are working to fill this knowledge gap by developing a novel mouse model which has a dog’s immune system. This “caninized” mouse model will allow CVM to ask critical questions about canine stem cells without needing to use dogs.  The information gained with the caninized mouse model will allow CVM to guide drug sponsors seeking to develop these biologicals as approved therapeutic products.
  • Scientists and veterinarians in the Office of Applied Science have pioneered new surgical approaches for tissue collection that have been used in studies to determine the fate of drugs given to cattle.  These approaches allowed OAS scientists to gather tissue samples needed to help inform CVM about the fate of drugs in cattle while simultaneously reducing the number of cattle historically needed for these pharmacokinetic studies. These novel approaches to tissue collection have allowed CVM to meet its obligation to the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act to reduce animal numbers, while still allowing CVM to meet its regulatory requirement to ensure the safety of drugs used in food-producing animals.

3Rs Publications:

One-port video assisted laparoscopic kidney biopsy in standing steers. Chiesa, O.A., von Bredow, J., Smith, M., Thomas, M. (2009) Res Vet Sci. 87(1):133–4.

Isobaric (gasless) laparoscopic liver and kidney biopsy in standing steers. Chiesa, O.A., von Bredow J., Li, H., Smith M.  (2009) Canadian J Veterinary Research. 73(1):42–8.

Minimally invasive ultrasound-guided technique for central venous catheterization via the external jugular vein in pigs. Chiesa, O.A., Gonzales, R., Kouneski, A., Lewandowsky., Rotstein, D., Myers, M.J.(2021) Am J Vet Res. 82(9):760-769.

 

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