Animal Research

The LMB aims to understand complex biological problems so that we can better understand, treat and prevent human disease. Our research programmes investigate immune and infectious diseases, neurological and neurodegenerative disorders and genetic and developmental conditions that affect millions of people in the world.

The complex processes we study do not occur in isolation in the body and require approaches where we can examine responses at the level of organs and the whole organism. It is not yet possible to recreate the complexity of the human body within a test tube or a synthetic model, so animals are required to investigate whole body systems. It is only by investigating these interactions within an organism that they can be fully understood, and new therapeutic approaches to widespread diseases and conditions can be developed. Indeed, the LMB’s Nobel Prize-winning work on monoclonal antibodies led to transformative treatments in many diseases.

LMB scientists only use animal studies where there is no alternative and in combination with other non-animal experiments, including cell culture, organoids or other species like fruit flies and worms. Our researchers use mice because their genetic and biological similarities to humans make them good models for understanding human diseases and developing treatments.