Mice help science in the Algarve

“The cure won’t be found in any of these little mice – but all sorts of cures depend on the investigations carried out by several teams over the years on these animals”. So speaks José António Belo, Associate Professor in Biotechnology, the principal researcher at CBME and director of UAlg’s Animal Facility.

Here, there is only one species of “lab mouse” – Mus musculus - which measures around 5 to 10 centimetres in body-length and has a short tail. “They’re what we call the ideal animals for laboratory work. We can do a huge variety of experiments with them – from research into embryonic development, to experiments in genetic manipulation, drug and pharmacological testing and stem-cell therapies”, Belo elaborates. The facility has the capacity for 10.000 animals. At the moment, there is less than half that number.

Right now, there are between 20 and 30 researchers using the facility, but the plan is to expand within the medium-term. “As part of the course in medicine, we decided to create a research programme in regenerative medicine”, for which the mice are the model species.

The rules for access into the facility are rigid. The main door has an electronic lock – similar to that on a high-security vault. Then, visitors have to pass over sticky carpets that remove excess dust from the soles of their shoes, put on lab coats, cover their shoes with protective bags and don surgical masks, gloves and protective caps. In the two rooms housing the animals, everything is minutely controlled: the temperature (24º), humidity, air quality and light intensity – so that day and night can be simulated.

In terms of maintenance, the cages are sterilised and require changing once a week. Some have special filters to prevent the passage of microbes. They protect, for example, the mice that have had their immune systems compromised deliberately as part of a determined investigation.

These mice have a gestation period of around three weeks. After two months, their young reach adulthood and are sexually mature. Longevity here rarely exceeds six months – although these mice could live until a year and a half.

Each cage is labelled with various relevant details. Some of the mice kept here have already been genetically manipulated. The use of “mutant” animals – those, for example, that have already had a gene removed, or altered – is important in order to understand the embryonic development of specific organs, like the heart or the brain.

“If we knew which cells give origin to a determined organ – and which genes are involved – one day, using cultured stem-cells we could manipulate their development for various organs within the body” Belo explains.

According to the Animal Facility’s coordinator, research into cancer (oncobiology) is already underway at CBME – and other projects are connected with genetic retinal therapy, aimed at restoring eyesight. The Algarve’s “lab mice” are also contributing to research into treatment for Alzheimer’s.

Most of these procedures take place in a small laboratory within the Animal Facility. Animals are taken here whenever they’re to be involved in an experiment - always anaesthetized so that they experience minimal pain. During our visit, we are able to assist in the harvesting of embryos.

But, what are the ethical limits?

“Of course, the animals have to be taken into consideration,” Belo agrees. “These days, all experiments must be properly authorised – first by an internal ethics committee, then, each researcher has to have his or her projects authorised at a higher level by the “Direcção-geral de Veterinária” (Veterinary Department) – the body in Portugal that coordinates and regulates experiments on animals”.

Rules protecting animals used in experiments and for other scientific reasons are already laid out in Portuguese law by Government order nº 1005/92 dated 23rd October.

At the facility, researchers have to fill out a series of forms – indicating what they are intending to study with the mice. “They have to justify the processes they’ll be taking to sacrifice these animals – why they are using them, and how many animals they expect to use per year”, among other variables.

Equally, “there are rules and regulations concerning the way the animals should be maintained in the facility. There’s a limit to the discomfort or pain that the animals should have to suffer”, Belo stresses.

In university classes “there’s an increasing tendency NOT to authorise demonstrations using mice” precisely because of concerns over animal rights. They are living things, after all, and in the end we only want to use them for a cause that will advance science. There’s significant international pressure against using mice in practical classes. More and more the decision is ‘no’.”

According to José Belo, research projects that begin on these “little lab mice” could later move on to large animals like primates – and even later go on to involve humans.

“Due to the similarity between the genes and proteins in the breeding processes that make mice and those that make humans, we can use mice in the initial stages of any research. Later, when we come to conclusions, we can start thinking of ways of how to apply them to suit humans”, he explains.

Other than Belo, there are two other staff members at the Animal Facility – Sara Marques (the manager) and Neusa Miguel (the animal keeper). There is also a veterinarian assigned to look after the animals’ health.

Twice a year, so-called “sentry mice” are sent to an independent laboratory where they’re examined and tested for illnesses, viruses and dozens of other possible contaminants. It’s a process that means the facility can be certified at “sanitary”, according to international regulations. This is also important as the Animal Facility works with exchange programmes from other facilities throughout the world. For example, UAlg has already exported their mice to Japan.

The CBME Animal Facility was an investment – costing around half a million euros - co-financed by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (major sponsor) and Banco Totta Santander.