Progress on a better alternative to animal testing

Progress on a better alternative to animal testing

Medicine depends on animal testing to assess drug safety and efficacy. The problem is that animal tests often fail to predict clinical responses. This means drugs that look promising in animal studies often fail to deliver in human clinical trials. In fact, one study found that more than 86% of drugs found to be safe and effective in animal studies fail to get FDA approval. A new article in Nature Biomedical Engineering reports on the creation of what may eventually lead to a replacement for animal testing.

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New Parts for People: Artificial Bone from European Space Agency

New Parts for People: Artificial Bone from European Space Agency

Scientists at ESA’s European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) artificially produced a piece of bone to test new bioprinting techniques. The point of the work was to find ways to give astronauts on extended missions access to what the agency’s website calls “spare parts” needed for bone or skin grafts, and even complete internal organs.

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