How the Trump administration's health cuts could kill thousands of test animals
Hundreds of lab animals left behind following the Trump administration's Health and Human Services cuts have reportedly been euthanized.
Of the more than 900 animals located at a West Virginia-based National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health facility, a third were killed last week following layoffs there, according to a report from The New York Times. Now, scientists caution that this concerning outcome could happen again, as the National Institutes of Health caps indirect costs, including facilities and administration costs.
'If the animals can't be fed and cared for properly, then they're going to have to be sacrificed,' Dr. Paul Locke, an environmental health scientist, attorney and professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told The Independent. 'And that, to me, is just a parade of horribles.'
'Some people may tell you that this massive culling is OK because what it means is that animal research is going to end. But, that is simply not true. The animal research will not end. It will simply go somewhere else,' he said.
Where it would go remains to be seen, and the future of animal testing is murky. Locke said his guess is that it could continue to be done in the U.S. in a way where it escapes protection or in places where there are a lot less protections for the animals.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services did not address the situation in West Virginia, but told The Independent that it was committed to maintaining compliance with all federal animal welfare standards throughout this transition period and that it remains focused on ensuring public health, research and regulatory obligations continue to be met responsibly and in accordance with applicable law.
The Trump administration's Food and Drug Administration has recently moved to 'phase out' animal testing for certain drugs.'
Animal groups have commended the action — but also say the nation is not moving fast enough. They dispute the claim that lab animals are such a critical part of U.S. health research.
'I think we need to give up that ghost. Especially because of all the non-animal methods that are available and are emerging,' Dr. Katherine Roe, a neuroscientist and PETA's chief of science advancement and outreach, said. PETA is the nation's largest animal rights group.
'It's not a gold standard,' she said.
Roe pointed out that there are limitations to these practices, including that many people who utilize animal studies tend to lean into how they're similar to humans versus how they are different.
'The failure rate for treatments developed in animals for cancer, for sepsis, for Alzheimer's disease go on and fail when they're tried in human patients because of species differences,' she noted, adding that the lab environment alters the physiology of the animals.
'The idea that we should keep trying this failed paradigm ... is ridiculous,' said Roe.
'I think we are bumping up against the limits of what animals can tell us,' noted Locke, 'and, there are many reasons for that. but the simple biological reason is that human biology is different than animal biology.'
He believes that there should be a transition away from animal testing while alternatives are developed.
'FDA and EPA have been pressed for decades to champion innovative methods that use human cells, 3D printing, robotics, computer models and other technologies to assess the safety and efficacy of a host of chemicals, products, devices and drugs without the suffering and death of literally hundreds of thousands of animals,' Sara Amundson, president of Humane World Action Fund, said in a statement.
PETA estimates that are still 100 million animals in U.S. laboratories, but says that count is likely an underestimate. It's a tally that doesn't include animals not protected under the Animal Welfare Act. So, it doesn't include mice, rats, fish and birds that are bred for research purposes.
Some of the millions of animals could be moved, but many may have already been exposed to pathogens. It is unclear where all of these animals could go, if not to sanctuaries. Many others are rescued from facilities.
The industry has a duty to figure out the animal's future, Animal Legal Defense Fund Senior Staff Attorney Caitlin Foley said in a statement shared with The Independent.
'[The Animal Legal Defense Fund] urges Congress to pass similar legislation to the CHIMP Act (Chimpanzee Health Improvement, Maintenance, and Protection Act) to require the adoption or rehoming of all animals forced into animal research,' she wrote. The CHIMP Act is a federal law that mandates the creation of a system of sanctuaries for chimpanzees no longer needed in research.
But, without these or similar avenues, Roe says the animals' option is death. It may be their best option before experimentation, Justin Goodman, a senior vice president at the White Coat Waste Project, told Rawstory.
'The reality is that these animals were always at risk for euthanasia. In fact, the overwhelming majority of animals in laboratories are killed at the end of experimentation,' Roe added. 'That's the truth.'
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Scottish Sun
20 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
I'm slowly losing my brilliant Dad to dementia – but now I'm tormented by a fear his demise could've been easily avoided
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WATCHING my dad Mick cry sitting on the bottom stair when I was 11 years old in 1990 is a memory I can recall far too easily. Confused, I asked my mum Irene what was going on. I was told he was on new antidepressants and it would take some time for him to get used to the dose. 14 Clare O'Reilly and her dad Mick on one of their many family holidays Credit: Collect 14 Clare, her mum Irene and dad Mick, and children in 2019, before he was diagnosed with dementia I knew what depression was, I'd read about it in magazines, but it was the first time I was told my beloved dad – who was just 43 at the time – had it. It's been 35 years since that memory. But every single one of those days since he's taken medication, which has chemically levelled out his poor mental health. When he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and dementia in 2020, the memory of hearing his sobbing didn't even register – until a few weeks ago. New research brought it screaming back into my mind. A study from the University of Nottingham, published last month, suggested having depression in midlife could increase the risk of Alzheimer's by as much as 56 per cent. My wonderful dad is one of about a million people in the UK living with dementia - a figure that's set to rise to 1.4million people by 2040. According to the charity Alzheimer's UK, depression is one of 14 modifiable and potentially preventable risk factors of the condition, so what if the depression I watched him live with throughout my childhood has contributed to or even caused the diagnosis which ultimately will end his life? Professor Jacob Brain, from the Institute of Mental Health and School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham who led the research, says the findings from the study need to be acted upon. 'Our study shows depression is linked to an increased risk of dementia in both midlife and late life,' he says. 'This highlights the importance of recognising and treating depression across the life course, not just for mental health, but also as part of a broader strategy to protect brain health. 'Public health efforts need to place greater emphasis on preventative brain health, including scaling up access to effective mental health care.' Five simple tests that could indicate dementia Around 2.5million people took part in the study, which concluded that feelings like my dad had in midlife – specifically in your 40s and 50s - more than doubled the risk of developing the condition. And with dementia costing the UK £42billion today, rising to £90billion by 2040, there's an urgency to treat midlife mental health to potentially reduce both the diagnosis statistics and the cost of dementia to the already struggling NHS. My dad doesn't know anything about the link between the two conditions, but it's all I can think about. While talking therapies were in their infancy back in the 90s, his midlife mental health and diagnosis could be inextricably connected. After crying on the stairs, his new dosage kicked in and he bounced back to the father I adored, who I used to make bread with and play chess with. Yet while clinical psychology has been in existence since the 1890s, it's only after his dementia diagnosis five years ago he was offered a psychologist to talk to. Until that time, his only help was a pill. It leaves me wondering whether his dementia would have occurred had his depression been treated and cured, rather than medicated for decades – and that's something I'll never have an answer to. I dread not knowing my grandchildren's names when I see them. I can't imagine the hurt they'll feel when that day comes and that's heartbreaking Mick O'Reilly Dementia is considered a terminal illness because it's degenerative and there's no cure. On average, life expectancy is between five and 10 years after diagnosis, and my amazing, funny, kind, smart and wonderful dad is halfway through that timeline. When he was diagnosed, under mum's advice, he wrote letters to both my brother Michael and I, as well as his four grandchildren, to be opened when he's not around anymore. The bomb blast of his diagnosis in our tight knit family was, and continues to be, devastating. My three children Eddie, 21, Sammy, 16, and Annie, 14, all cried on hearing the news. 14 Clare described her dad's diagnosis as a 'bomb blast' Credit: Collect 14 Clare and her family at the airport on the way to France 14 Clare's mum Irene confirmed Mick's diagnosis in 2020 14 Writing in 2020, Mick said it was hard to admit it, but he was 'terrified' Credit: Collect Watching him forget simple words like 'pasta' or struggling to recall what a sofa is called has been challenging at best and devastating at worst. His passion for poetry and art is dwindling as his confusion mounts and his thousand-yard stare becomes something we grow accustomed to. But given the fact that around 13 per cent of people over the age of 65 suffer from depression, our family can't be the only ones living with a dementia diagnosis after midlife depression, which was left treated but not cured in the 1980s and 1990s. 'It's hard to admit it, but I'm terrified' By Mick O'Reilly, written in November 2020 after being diagnosed IN my heart I knew I had something wrong with me before it was diagnosed as dementia and Alzheimer's. For the last two years when I've woken in the night I don't know where I am and it takes a few seconds, sometimes a minute or two, to remember I'm at home. Despite living here for 36 years, if I'm out with my wife, Irene, I forget what the front of the house looks like. I've grown familiar with those feelings, that uncertainty, but labelling them – while it felt like being hit with a brick – was a relief. I'd worried it was a brain tumour and while people might think I'm mad to prefer this diagnosis to a brain tumour, it's just how I feel. It's hard to admit I'm frightened but I am. I'm terrified. I've had almost 50 years of marriage with Irene and we've raised a family – while those memories will go for me, she has plenty that will last her. The same with my children Michael and Clare; we've had holidays to Barry Island, Prestatyn and Scarborough with fish and chips and pickled cockles on the beach. We've had plenty of Christmases and birthdays together. I've watched them graduate from university and have their own children, but it's my four grandchildren I'm most saddened for. I've only had six years with my youngest grandchild, Michael, and whatever memories we make together will have to last him forever and they might fade for him as he grows up. I know I won't be present when it happens but I dread not knowing their names when I see them. I can't imagine the hurt they'll feel when that day comes and that's heartbreaking. Having had epilepsy for 41 years and thousands of seizures, many of which I had no idea were coming, I'm familiar with uncertainty, with not knowing what will happen next. But I do know this diagnosis isn't going anywhere and I have to accept that. I'm reminded of it every time I watch The Chase. I used to be able to get a few questions right, now I'm very lucky if I get one. Despite staring down the barrel of an abyss though, I don't feel sorry for myself. Why would I? I'll be ignorant in bliss, it's the family I love who'll have the hardship, not me. I feel guilty they'll have to endure the hurt that comes with this diagnosis – with being forgotten – but I'm helpless to prevent it. I'm not scared either, we all have to go some time and I've had a life far richer than a lot of people. I know Clare says at my essence I'm a decent bloke and will still be that even when I'm not anchored by my history or a past or family I've forgotten, but I can't help but wonder who I'll be when I've forgotten myself. The new research brings together existing evidence, but also adds fresh analysis to examine the relationship between the two conditions in more detail. 'Our findings raise the possibility that depression late in life may not just be a risk factor, but it could also be an early warning sign of dementia beginning to develop,' says Mr Brain. 'By clarifying this timing, our work helps guide future research, treatment, and prevention strategies. 'We specifically focused on the timing of when depression was measured, whether it was measured in midlife or in later life, and calculated how much it increased the risk of developing dementia. 'This essentially allowed us to provide a more accurate and up-to-date picture of how depression at different life stages is linked to dementia risk.' 'Bitter pill to swallow' While Alzheimer's UK says depression is a risk factor that can be attributed to three per cent of dementia cases, around 13 per cent of people over the age of 65 suffer from the condition, and my dad is one of them. With the publication of the findings from the University of Nottingham, Alzheimer's UK is calling on the UK Government and NHS to set ambitious and achievable new diagnosis rate targets. Dr Richard Oakley, associate director of research and innovation at Alzheimer's Society, says even more research will help establish the correlation and relationship between the two conditions. 'The relationship between depression and dementia is a complicated topic,' he says. 'While there is a connection, the association is still unclear, and we don't fully understand the specific changes that link these two conditions. 'We know that depression is a risk factor for dementia and some research suggests treating depression may reduce the risk of developing dementia in the future. 'This is why getting the right support for depression is important.' 14 Clare with her dad Mick on her first Christmas 14 It has been 35 years since Clare discovered her dad had depression Credit: Collect 14 She now wonders if it had anything to do with his dementia diagnosis Credit: Collect 14 Mick playing a game of chess in 2011 It's too late for my dad to get the help that might have changed his diagnosis. There's a possibility he would have been diagnosed anyway but – like his antidepressants in the 1990s – it's a bitter pill to swallow. He still takes the 'happy pills' as he used to call them. And while there are glimpses of the dad who I grew up adoring, they're becoming fewer and further apart. I was too little to do anything back in 1990; his wonderful GP unaware of the link and his devoted wife – my mum – couldn't have known either. I do know there'll be an equivalent 'me' though – kids across the UK are living with parents with depression in their midlives. So for the sake of their adult selves, I hope the research findings are acted upon before another generation has to watch a parent they adore disappear in front of their eyes. 14 Mick wrote letters to this two children and four grandchildren, to be opened when he's not around anymore Credit: Collect 14 Mick and little Eddie at home in 2007 14 Mick still takes 'happy pills', as he used to call them Credit: Collect
The Sun
20 hours ago
- The Sun
I'm slowly losing my brilliant Dad to dementia – but now I'm tormented by a fear his demise could've been easily avoided
WATCHING my dad Mick cry sitting on the bottom stair when I was 11 years old in 1990 is a memory I can recall far too easily. Confused, I asked my mum Irene what was going on. I was told he was on new antidepressants and it would take some time for him to get used to the dose. 14 14 I knew what depression was, I'd read about it in magazines, but it was the first time I was told my beloved dad – who was just 43 at the time – had it. It's been 35 years since that memory. But every single one of those days since he's taken medication, which has chemically levelled out his poor mental health. When he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and dementia in 2020, the memory of hearing his sobbing didn't even register – until a few weeks ago. New research brought it screaming back into my mind. A study from the University of Nottingham, published last month, suggested having depression in midlife could increase the risk of Alzheimer's by as much as 56 per cent. My wonderful dad is one of about a million people in the UK living with dementia - a figure that's set to rise to 1.4million people by 2040. According to the charity Alzheimer's UK, depression is one of 14 modifiable and potentially preventable risk factors of the condition, so what if the depression I watched him live with throughout my childhood has contributed to or even caused the diagnosis which ultimately will end his life? Professor Jacob Brain, from the Institute of Mental Health and School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham who led the research, says the findings from the study need to be acted upon. 'Our study shows depression is linked to an increased risk of dementia in both midlife and late life,' he says. 'This highlights the importance of recognising and treating depression across the life course, not just for mental health, but also as part of a broader strategy to protect brain health. 'Public health efforts need to place greater emphasis on preventative brain health, including scaling up access to effective mental health care.' Around 2.5million people took part in the study, which concluded that feelings like my dad had in midlife – specifically in your 40s and 50s - more than doubled the risk of developing the condition. And with dementia costing the UK £42billion today, rising to £90billion by 2040, there's an urgency to treat midlife mental health to potentially reduce both the diagnosis statistics and the cost of dementia to the already struggling NHS. My dad doesn't know anything about the link between the two conditions, but it's all I can think about. While talking therapies were in their infancy back in the 90s, his midlife mental health and diagnosis could be inextricably connected. After crying on the stairs, his new dosage kicked in and he bounced back to the father I adored, who I used to make bread with and play chess with. Yet while clinical psychology has been in existence since the 1890s, it's only after his dementia diagnosis five years ago he was offered a psychologist to talk to. Until that time, his only help was a pill. It leaves me wondering whether his dementia would have occurred had his depression been treated and cured, rather than medicated for decades – and that's something I'll never have an answer to. I dread not knowing my grandchildren's names when I see them. I can't imagine the hurt they'll feel when that day comes and that's heartbreaking Mick O'ReillyDad Dementia is considered a terminal illness because it's degenerative and there's no cure. On average, life expectancy is between five and 10 years after diagnosis, and my amazing, funny, kind, smart and wonderful dad is halfway through that timeline. When he was diagnosed, under mum's advice, he wrote letters to both my brother Michael and I, as well as his four grandchildren, to be opened when he's not around anymore. The bomb blast of his diagnosis in our tight knit family was, and continues to be, devastating. My three children Eddie, 21, Sammy, 16, and Annie, 14, all cried on hearing the news. 14 14 14 14 Watching him forget simple words like 'pasta' or struggling to recall what a sofa is called has been challenging at best and devastating at worst. His passion for poetry and art is dwindling as his confusion mounts and his thousand-yard stare becomes something we grow accustomed to. But given the fact that around 13 per cent of people over the age of 65 suffer from depression, our family can't be the only ones living with a dementia diagnosis after midlife depression, which was left treated but not cured in the 1980s and 1990s. 'It's hard to admit it, but I'm terrified' By Mick O'Reilly, written in November 2020 after being diagnosed IN my heart I knew I had something wrong with me before it was diagnosed as dementia and Alzheimer's. For the last two years when I've woken in the night I don't know where I am and it takes a few seconds, sometimes a minute or two, to remember I'm at home. Despite living here for 36 years, if I'm out with my wife, Irene, I forget what the front of the house looks like. I've grown familiar with those feelings, that uncertainty, but labelling them – while it felt like being hit with a brick – was a relief. I'd worried it was a brain tumour and while people might think I'm mad to prefer this diagnosis to a brain tumour, it's just how I feel. It's hard to admit I'm frightened but I am. I'm terrified. I've had almost 50 years of marriage with Irene and we've raised a family – while those memories will go for me, she has plenty that will last her. The same with my children Michael and Clare; we've had holidays to Barry Island, Prestatyn and Scarborough with fish and chips and pickled cockles on the beach. We've had plenty of Christmases and birthdays together. I've watched them graduate from university and have their own children, but it's my four grandchildren I'm most saddened for. I've only had six years with my youngest grandchild, Michael, and whatever memories we make together will have to last him forever and they might fade for him as he grows up. I know I won't be present when it happens but I dread not knowing their names when I see them. I can't imagine the hurt they'll feel when that day comes and that's heartbreaking. Having had epilepsy for 41 years and thousands of seizures, many of which I had no idea were coming, I'm familiar with uncertainty, with not knowing what will happen next. But I do know this diagnosis isn't going anywhere and I have to accept that. I'm reminded of it every time I watch The Chase. I used to be able to get a few questions right, now I'm very lucky if I get one. Despite staring down the barrel of an abyss though, I don't feel sorry for myself. Why would I? I'll be ignorant in bliss, it's the family I love who'll have the hardship, not me. I feel guilty they'll have to endure the hurt that comes with this diagnosis – with being forgotten – but I'm helpless to prevent it. I'm not scared either, we all have to go some time and I've had a life far richer than a lot of people. I know Clare says at my essence I'm a decent bloke and will still be that even when I'm not anchored by my history or a past or family I've forgotten, but I can't help but wonder who I'll be when I've forgotten myself. The new research brings together existing evidence, but also adds fresh analysis to examine the relationship between the two conditions in more detail. 'Our findings raise the possibility that depression late in life may not just be a risk factor, but it could also be an early warning sign of dementia beginning to develop,' says Mr Brain. 'By clarifying this timing, our work helps guide future research, treatment, and prevention strategies. 'We specifically focused on the timing of when depression was measured, whether it was measured in midlife or in later life, and calculated how much it increased the risk of developing dementia. 'This essentially allowed us to provide a more accurate and up-to-date picture of how depression at different life stages is linked to dementia risk.' 'Bitter pill to swallow' While Alzheimer's UK says depression is a risk factor that can be attributed to three per cent of dementia cases, around 13 per cent of people over the age of 65 suffer from the condition, and my dad is one of them. With the publication of the findings from the University of Nottingham, Alzheimer's UK is calling on the UK Government and NHS to set ambitious and achievable new diagnosis rate targets. Dr Richard Oakley, associate director of research and innovation at Alzheimer's Society, says even more research will help establish the correlation and relationship between the two conditions. 'The relationship between depression and dementia is a complicated topic,' he says. 'While there is a connection, the association is still unclear, and we don't fully understand the specific changes that link these two conditions. 'We know that depression is a risk factor for dementia and some research suggests treating depression may reduce the risk of developing dementia in the future. 'This is why getting the right support for depression is important.' 14 14 14 It's too late for my dad to get the help that might have changed his diagnosis. There's a possibility he would have been diagnosed anyway but – like his antidepressants in the 1990s – it's a bitter pill to swallow. He still takes the 'happy pills' as he used to call them. And while there are glimpses of the dad who I grew up adoring, they're becoming fewer and further apart. I was too little to do anything back in 1990; his wonderful GP unaware of the link and his devoted wife – my mum – couldn't have known either. I do know there'll be an equivalent 'me' though – kids across the UK are living with parents with depression in their midlives. So for the sake of their adult selves, I hope the research findings are acted upon before another generation has to watch a parent they adore disappear in front of their eyes. 14 14 14 14
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
'I'm a gut health scientist - what I eat daily is tasty and boosts weight loss'
Jordan Haworth, a gut health scientist who is known as Mr Gut Health online, has shared what he eats in a day to support his gut health and weight loss Our digestive system, often referred to as our guts, is crucial for digesting food, absorbing nutrients, and expelling waste. It's vital to look after our guts, which are instrumental in breaking down what we eat so that the body can produce the necessary chemicals for proper functioning. Studies have shown that gut health can influence both our physical and mental wellbeing. Connections have been made between the gut and various aspects of health including the immune system, autoimmune diseases, heart disease, cancer, and more. A gut health expert has divulged his dietary habits, adhering to the Mediterranean diet, renowned for bolstering gut health and offering additional perks like aiding weight management. The Mediterranean diet promotes a style of eating reflective of the culinary traditions of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, such as Spain and Greece. It favours a plethora of wholesome foods including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, seafood, legumes, and nuts. Jordan Haworth, known online as Mr Gut Health, is an experienced gut health scientist with over seven years under his belt. Revealing his daily intake as a "full time gut health scientist", Jordan begins with ginger and turmeric shots to "kick start the old immune system". Research suggests that the combination of ginger and turmeric could help diminish inflammation and pain, enhance immunity, and guard against chronic illnesses. The Manchester-based scientist kicked off his day with a spoonful of Psyllium jelly to "detox his gut". In an earlier video, Jordan demonstrated how he concocted the "gut health jelly" using just three ingredients. He mixed three teaspoons of Psyllium husk with 150ml of pressed juice such as grape, and a dash of lime to "make it sour". After letting it chill in the fridge for 10 minutes, it was ready to go. Jordan touted it as a "low calorie prebiotic jelly" packed with 12g of fibre to "keep you full". For breakfast, he tucked into a bowl of 5% Greek yoghurt, citing that the "fat in dairy is good for your brain". However, he didn't share any of the additional ingredients he might have thrown in. Alongside this, Jordan enjoyed some green tea and walnuts, which he also hailed as "good for your brain". Green tea is renowned for its potential health benefits, including bolstering cognition and aiding weight management. Walnuts, on the other hand, are a fantastic source of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, boasting anti-inflammatory properties. Come lunchtime, Jordan whipped up a chicken and chickpea pasta salad, praising it as a great source of fibre. He dressed it with extra virgin olive oil, a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, and tossed in extras like cucumber, tomatoes, olives and feta cheese. After downing a matcha energy drink to keep him fuelled, Jordan sat down to dinner: a watermelon feta salad paired with "fresh, crispy mackerel" and potato wedges. He rounded off the day with a pair of kiwis. Kiwis, packed with vitamin C and dietary fibre, are a fantastic choice. Some even suggest that consuming kiwi before going to bed can enhance your sleep quality, thanks to its serotonin content, a neurotransmitter instrumental in sleep regulation. Always seek advice from a GP or dietician prior to making significant alterations to your diet or embarking on a new eating regimen.
