FBR Blog
Easy-to-read articles about animal testing and research.
In Memoriam: Michael E. DeBakey, MD
On the ninth anniversary of his passing, the Foundation for Biomedical Research (FBR) remembers the extraordinary life and career of Michael E. DeBakey, MD (September 7, 1908—July 11, 2008). A cardiac surgeon, inventor, educator and medical statesman whose...
The Vaccine that Could Halt the Opioid Epidemic
Photo credit: Chuck Jines | chuckjines.com A pre-K teacher explains that forty percent of the kids in her class are raised by family members or guardians who are not their biological parents. She doesn’t even need to explain why; the woman she’s talking to, Melissa,...
The most promising research in Alzheimer’s disease is conducted with animal models.
Multi-generational family. Photo courtesy: Pixabay. Research shows family history plays a role in Alzheimer's disease. It’s an emotionally devastating scene in "Still Alice," the 2015 film adaptation of Lisa Genova’s bestselling novel about a woman’s battle with...
New Threats of Zika Infection and Complications with Pregnancy
Recently, officials reported a dramatic increase in the number of babies in New York City who either tested positive for the mosquito-borne Zika virus or were diagnosed with the characteristic developmental symptoms in the brain that are closely associated with the...
Animals: Serving our Veterans on and off the Battlefield
Per the Congressional Budget Office, military operations from 2003 to 2014 in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters have claimed the lives of 5,282 Americans in uniform. Their sacrifice, and the brave service of all personnel who have been killed in action, will be...
HIV Vaccines: The Journey from Fear to Hope
The prospect of a vaccine that could prevent new HIV infections is now possible, thanks to developments in antiretroviral medications that were first created in the mid-1980s and improved over the years by researchers working with animal models. Today, May 18, marks...
The “Magic” that Saved Jimmy Kimmel’s Son Made Possible by Animal Research
Addressing his television audience on Monday night, Jimmy Kimmel tearfully thanked the doctors and nurses who saved the life of his son, born last week with a congenital heart condition called Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) with Pulmonary Atresia (PA). The rare disease is...
Animals in Medicine Cared for like the Heroes They Are
The animal research [community] has a history of silence that we are beginning to understand must be broken. The public doesn’t have the information needed to understand what happens in our facilities. They’ve been inundated by propaganda that, at best, misrepresents...
More Than Skin Deep
Owners know that the bond they share with their dogs is unlike anything other. Still, no matter how close the relationship between dogs and their human parents, nothing compares to the special kind of affection children and dogs share. So, it’s likely that your heart...
My Story: Closer with Every Discovery
I am in my fifties and I have the gene that causes Huntington's disease. This disease lays waste to entire families for generations. I am not a medical person, but I always knew I was at risk. In 1977 I started reading all the previous year's research on this disease....
My Story: Why I Do What I Do (Part 2)
This is the second of a two-part blog post that shares the journey of someone who, from heartache, found her purpose and passion for laboratory animal care and research. Teaching others As I shared on my last blog post, my path to finding a career, and my passion in...
How Man’s Best Friend is Helping Cancer Treatment
“A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours. Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart… Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all...
My Story: Why I Do What I Do
This is the first of a two-part blog post that shares the journey of someone who, from heartache, found her purpose and passion for laboratory animal care and research. Cancer, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, cystic fibrosis – these are ugly words. I hate the...
Multiple Steps Ensure a Scientifically and Ethically Sound Process
Medical advances of the past century, ranging from vaccines to organ transplants to cancer treatment, were made possible by animal research. Animal models allow researchers to study complex systems that cannot yet be reproduced in other ways. Federal laws mandate that...
This Story Changed My Mind About Dogs In Research
Did you know that for the past five years the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has received more funding from the National Science Foundation than any other university? After spending two years there, and the last seven months working as a public affairs...
Animals in Biomedical Research: the Least of our Animal Welfare Concerns
by Madeline Mahoney During Allison Gurney’s last day as our AP Biology student teacher, our class learned about animal research in biomedical studies. After Ms. Gurney’s presentation on her research experience using animals, the class participated in a group activity....
Brain Study with Monkeys Paves Way for Paralysis Treatment
Significant Advancement Biomedical research is breaking ground in finding ways to help the more than 250,000 Americans paralyzed from spinal cord injuries (SCIs) gain better access to everyday life. Researchers at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in...
The 5 Most Expensive Diseases and the Animals Helping to Combat Them
Health care costs have been a hot button topic in recent years, and rightfully so. The United States spends an extraordinary amount of money on health care each year - $9,523 for every man, woman and child to be exact. This totals over 1 trillion dollars, accounting...