It's illegal for health products with medical formulations to be accepted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration without tests on animals - a situation that has serious ethical and moral implications. New research in the field of tissue engineering, by Professor Amit Gefen of Tel Aviv University's Faculty of Engineering, could mean that far fewer lab animals will be needed for the necessary experimental trials. Bridging the worlds of biology and engineering, Gefen is using adult rat stem cells - cells that can be stimulated to create skin, bone, fat, and muscle tissue from an animal in a laboratory setting. His breakthrough study could have hundreds of applications in the pharmaceutical and medical world.
Gefen is currently developing a tool for researchers to investigate fat accumulation in cells - an important question for diabetes researchers - and weight loss drugs. For this approach, Gefen has adopted tissue engineering methods to use fewer animals in his trials. The use of engineered tissues may also be more scientifically efficient than using those from a living source. "The model we've created offers a very reliable method for researchers asking questions about basic science, and those investigating new drugs. We can injure tissue in a very controlled environment and grow muscle tissue without blood vessels, thereby neutralizing certain variables that often cloud what's happening in an experiment," says Gefen.
