Latest news with #VitaliyKhutoryanskiy
Euronews
13 hours ago
- Health
- Euronews
Tiny pond worms could be used to find new schizophrenia treatments
ADVERTISEMENT Tiny flatworms that normally wriggle unnoticed in ponds and rivers may hold the potential to help scientists develop new treatments for schizophrenia and addiction – while dramatically reducing the number of mice and rats used in medical research. In a new study, researchers from the United Kingdom found that planaria, harmless worms just a few millimetres long, respond to psychiatric drugs in ways that are very similar to mammals. When given haloperidol – an antipsychotic drug used to treat schizophrenia – the worms became sluggish and inactive, just as lab mice and rats do. The findings, published in Pharmaceutical Research, suggest these simple organisms could help scientists probe the effects of medicines on the brain without using rodents. "This finding adds to growing evidence that tiny flatworms like planaria could play a valuable role in how we study the brain," said Vitaliy Khutoryanskiy, one of the study's authors and a professor at the University of Reading. He added that using these flatworms in research "involves far fewer ethical concerns" than mice and rats. Neuroscientists have become increasingly reliant on rodents for brain research over the past four decades. In the UK alone, 882,000 mice and 144,060 rats were used in experiments in 2023, the university said. "Using planaria instead could potentially cut those numbers and still give us the answers we need to develop better treatments for people with serious mental health conditions," Khutoryanskiy said. Despite efforts to adopt more ethical methods, animal testing remains central to how new brain drugs are developed. Previous studies have already used planaria to explore epilepsy treatments and drug withdrawal, as the worms show primitive signs of addiction and withdrawal symptoms. The latest findings strengthen the case for expanding their use, Khutoryanskiy said. "It's good for science and it's good for animal welfare," he said.
The Independent
a day ago
- Health
- The Independent
How worms could be used in future mental health treatments
Scientists at the University of Reading have discovered that tiny flatworms, known as planaria, could serve as an alternative to rodents in developing treatments for mental health disorders. The research found that these worms react to psychiatric drugs, such as haloperidol, in a similar way to mice and rats, becoming less active. This breakthrough could aid in the development of new treatments for conditions like schizophrenia and hallucinations, building on previous studies using planaria for epilepsy and drug addiction research. Professor Vitaliy Khutoryanskiy, who led the study, highlighted that using flatworms involves significantly fewer ethical concerns compared to mammals. The adoption of planaria in research could potentially reduce the high number of mice and rats, close to a million annually, currently used in UK laboratories.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
How flatworms could help treat schizophrenia
Tiny worms found in ponds and rivers could be instrumental in treating mental illness, a study has suggested. Research at the University of Reading has found the worms react to brain medicines in a similar way to rodents. It means they could be used in place of rats and mice, which would involve fewer ethical concerns. Prof Vitaliy Khutoryanskiy, who led the study, said the findings were good for both science and animal welfare. Range of uses Previous studies have used the worms - known as planaria - to research epilepsy treatments and to investigate drug addiction, as the flatworms exhibit signs of withdrawal symptoms. This new study, published on Friday in the journal Pharmaceutical Research, found they become less active when given haloperidol, a drug used to treat mental health conditions - just like rodents. The drug works by calming overactive brain activity in people whose minds are working too fast or in confusing ways, and scientists often test this medicine on animals to understand how it affects the brain and develop better treatments for patients. The new research suggests the worms could be used instead, which could help develop treatments for mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and hallucinations, the University said. The worms could also be used to test different ways of making medicines. The planaria research has already influenced teaching at the University of Reading, where the haloperidol effect on worms is now part of undergraduate pharmacology classes. "This finding adds to growing evidence that tiny flatworms like planaria could play a valuable role in how we study the brain," said Prof Khutoryanskiy. "Close to a million mice and rats are used in UK research each year, but using planaria instead could potentially cut those numbers and still give us the answers we need to develop better treatments for people with serious mental health conditions. " You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Related Links University of Reading Pharmaceutical Research
