An progressive animal mannequin developed on the Vaccine and Infectious Illness Group (VIDO) on the College of Saskatchewan (USask) is reworking how scientists research immune responses within the intestine — and it has confirmed to assist cut back the variety of animals wanted in analysis.
The intestine loop mannequin, pioneered by Dr. Philip Griebel (DVM) — a Western Faculty of Veterinary Medication (WCVM) graduate and longtime VIDO scientist and USask professor (emeritus) — provides researchers a extra exact and humane option to research intestinal immunity in younger calves.
This mannequin is now getting used to analyze Johne’s illness, a power and debilitating intestinal sickness that impacts cattle and different ruminants. Brought on by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), Johne’s illness is notoriously tough to detect and management. The intestine loop mannequin permits researchers to look at the early interactions between MAP and the intestinal immune system.
“Johne’s illness begins within the intestine, and it could actually take years earlier than an animal exhibits medical indicators,” defined Dr. Antonio Facciuolo, VIDO scientist. “This mannequin permits us to check these early-stage immune responses in calves, giving us a clearer image of how the illness progresses and the place we would intervene.”
The intestine loop mannequin entails creating surgically remoted “loops” inside a single calf’s small gut. Every loop might be uncovered to a unique therapy or pathogen, permitting researchers to match localized immune responses — all inside one animal. Not solely does this enable for far more detailed, localized insights, it additionally reduces variability in outcomes — since every animal serves as its personal management — and considerably reduces the full variety of animals required for a research.
“It’s a extra environment friendly and scientifically highly effective option to research the intestine,” Dr. Facciuolo stated.
The mannequin has large purposes past Johne’s illness — from exploring how calves reply to enteric pathogens like E. coli and rotavirus, to testing oral vaccines, probiotics, and different therapeutics designed to guard intestine well being.
The intestine loop method aligns with VIDO’s objective of embracing the 3Rs of moral animal analysis: Alternative, Discount, and Refinement. It reduces variability in experiments, limits the necessity for terminal procedures, and helps guarantee the very best degree of animal welfare.
Griebel’s pioneering work continues to form infectious illness analysis at VIDO. And due to a brand new cross-campus collaboration with WCVM and the Veterinary Medical Centre, surgical procedures utilizing the intestine loop mannequin are actually going down in a specifically outfitted surgical suite — a partnership that’s additionally offering USask veterinary college students with uncommon publicity to advanced stomach surgical procedure.
By combining scientific innovation with a deep respect for animal welfare, the intestine loop mannequin stands as a legacy of Dr. Griebel’s profession — and a significant instrument within the combat towards one of many livestock trade’s most difficult illnesses.
