UK Scientists Launch £20 Million NHS Organoid Hub to Cut 2.54 Million Animal Tests
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 12
UK Scientists Launch £20 Million NHS Organoid Hub to Cut 2.54 Million Animal Tests
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 12
Summary
Cambridge researchers will grow miniature organs from NHS patient cells under a £20 million Medical Research Council program, starting with inflammatory bowel disease and expanding to cancer and neurological conditions.
Organoids smaller than 1 millimetre can mimic diseased human tissue and drug responses, offering a more precise way to spot which treatments work for which patients.
The push reflects limits of animal models: more than 90% of drugs that pass animal tests later fail in human trials, while many human diseases do not appear the same way in animals.
Britain recorded 2.54 million animal testing procedures last year, and the new hub will build a standardized organoid library for academics and drugmakers as Starmer's government accelerates alternatives to animal research.
A separate £2 million Innovate UK award backs nine projects to reduce use of dogs, monkeys and other animals in safety tests, including heart-toxicity screening designed to stop harmful drugs earlier.