Research with animals

At Leiden University, in both our biomedical and biological research, we use laboratory animals. Learn more about these specific areas of research and the goals we aim to achieve through these studies.

The research using laboratory animals is conducted in two institutes: the Leiden Institute of Biology (IBL) and the Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR). These institutes focus on two key lines of research where laboratory animals are employed.

Animal sciences and health

The research in this theme enables us to acquire knowledge about fundamental biological processes, aiding our understanding of how both healthy animals and people function. Additionally, we conduct research on the effects of diseases, stress, and other factors that compromise welfare, including noise pollution. Sometimes the research is for the benefit of humans, and sometimes for the sake of animals.

You can find more information about this research theme here.

Drug research

Our drug research focuses on three disease profiles: cancer, cardiovascular diseases (such as atherosclerosis), and neurological conditions. Drug development is a lengthy process with multiple stages. The emphasis of our drug research is mainly on the pre-clinical stage, which encompasses the steps before testing in humans can occur.

The early stages of drug research centre around identifying candidate compounds. Fundamental knowledge about the disease under investigation is crucial for this stage, allowing researchers to pinpoint new targets for drugs. Additionally, a vast number of compounds are screened for activity to identify potential medicines. These candidate drugs are then tested for effectiveness and toxicity in cultured cells.

Upon completion of these stages, the remaining candidate drugs are tested on laboratory animals. It is essential to determine the drug’s efficacy in treating a disease. We carefully select a laboratory animal model that as accurately as possible represents a human disease, enabling a more precise assessment of the drug’s effectiveness and toxicity. Our goal is to make the subsequent stages of testing in humans as successful as possible. For further details about this line of research, you can read more here.