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How Scintica's Portfolio Fits

How Does Scintica’s Product Portfolio Assist Scientists with the 3R’s of Preclinical Research?

In this final look back at the 3R’s of preclinical research we will take a look at Scintica’s product portfolio in detail and examine how some of the different pieces of equipment that we offer empower research by simplifying solutions.

We started our discussion with Replacement – the substitution for conscious living higher animals of insentient material, as defined by Russell and Burch. Scintica offers a number of different products, and product lines which can assist researchers as they consider options for Replacement within their studies:

  • The Baker Ruskin line of products support researchers who would like to move to in vitro studies, as they allow for precise control of the environment in which the cells are cultured, to more closely mimic normoxia/physoxia conditions, or even to create hypoxic conditions if that is the desired conditions for the potential study.
    • Their line of InvivO2 workstations allows cells to stay within the prescribed environment throughout the study
    • The PhO2x Box is a cell culture chamber which provides flexibility in placement on the bench, inside an incubator, or within a larger workstation
    • While the CondoCell provides a stable environment for cells to be transported to other equipment for analysis or measurement, without being exposed to regular room air
  • The Living Systems line of products includes both Pressure Arteriography and Wire Myography to examine isolated blood vessels.
  • The Next Generation Bioprinter for research purposes (NGB-R) from Poeitis is a multimodal platform designed to print live tissues, organs, and can assist with organ on a chip studies as well. This system combines laser-assisted, micro-valve, and extrusion techniques, allowing researchers to print not only cells but spheroids as well, along with the possibility of using a large number of biomaterials and hydrogels.

Moving to Reduction – Reduction in the number of animals used to obtain information of given amount and precision; Scintica offers a wide range of tools to assist scientists in meeting this goal.

  • Non-invasive techniques for functional measurements
    • Indus Instrument’s Doppler Flow Velocity System (DFVS) allows researchers to monitor the blood flow velocity within most blood vessels in mouse and rat models of disease, as well as within the hearts of the same species to monitor cardiac function.
      • This system can be used, for example to measure the jet flow velocity through the stenosis following transverse aortic constriction (TAC), and this measure can be used to stratify the study animals into mild, moderate, and severe banding groups – thus reducing the variability between animals within the study groups.

Preclinical imaging techniques

  • Vilber’s Newton 7.0 in vivo optical imaging system provides bioluminescence (BLI), 3D tomographic BLI, as well as fluorescence imaging for both mice and rats. This technique can be used on a wide variety of cancer, cell trafficking, and gene expression studies, along with many others.
  • S-Sharp’s Prospect T1 high frequency ultrasound system has been specifically designed for mice, rats, and similarly sized laboratory animals. This system is used in cancer, cardiac, vascular, developmental, organ, ophthalmology and contrast agent research studies.
  • Aspect Imaging’s M-Series compact magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems come in a variety of sizes allowing imaging of mice and rats, as well as non-human primates. These systems utilize a permanent magnet, which helps reduce the cost and complexity of owning a superconducting magnet. These systems have been used in cancer biology, neurology, cardiac imaging, organ imaging, as well as in contrast agent imaging.
  • Osteosys’s iNSiGHT Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA/DEXA) system can be used to study body composition and bone mineral density and content (BMD/BMC) on samples, including laboratory animals, from 10g – 5kg. Researchers often use this imaging technique when studying metabolic disorders like diabetes, or bone diseases such as osteoporosis, for example.
  • PhotoSound’s TriTom combines both photoacoustic and fluorescence tomography to provide molecular and some anatomical information. This system is primarily used on mice for cancer, neuro, angiography as well as developmental biology, or for contrast agent development.
  • Sedecal’s SuperArgus computed tomography (CT) systems provide whole body images on a variety of species, from mouse to non-human primate, utilizing minimal dose of radiation as to not effect the laboratory animal over the course of a longitudinal study. These systems may be used alone, or combined with other imaging modalities, such as positron emission tomography (PET) to provide an anatomical reference.
  • Scintica has a number of positron emission tomography (PET) options, including Sedecal’s SuperArgus high performance 3D PET and/or CT, Brightonix’s SimPET insert which can be combined with Aspect Imaging’s M-Series systems, as well as Bioemtech’s β-eye for 2D real-time whole-body imaging in a benchtop system. PET imaging is routinely used in cancer, neurological, and cardiac applications, as well as in pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies.
  • Bioemtech’s γ-eye is a benchtop single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) system is a 2D real-time whole-body system that is small enough to sit on the bench. Designed for mouse imaging studies focused on oncology and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies.

Finally, we end with Russell and Burch’s third R, Refinement – any decrease in the severity of inhumane procedures applied to those animals which still have to be used. There are a number of options within Scintica’s product portfolio which can help researchers to use less invasive procedures, as well as to safely use anesthesia during any required surgical procedure.

  • RWD’s stereotaxic systems allow researchers to precisely locate and intervene at specific locations within the brain.
  • RWD’s precise impactor provides reproducible, and reliable control for brain and spinal cord injuries.
  • Image guided injections can be performed using S-Sharp’s Prospect T1, injections may be performed into most abdominal organs and structures, as well as into the heart.
  • The Rodent Surgical Monitoring (RSM) system can be used to both provide supplementary heat while an animal is under anesthesia; it can also be used to monitor a variety of physiological parameters non-invasively including ECG, heart rate, respiration rate, as well as body temperature and pulse oximetry.
  • Scintica also provides a collection of anesthesia systems, and ventilators, for use during surgical procedures. These systems not only precisely control the level of anesthesia for the study animal, but also include an active scavenging system to help protect the operator from exposure to waste anesthetic gas.

 

The principles of Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement are essential in preclinical research, providing a framework for the ethical and responsible use of animals in scientific studies. By following the 3Rs, scientists can ensure that animal research is conducted in a humane and ethical manner, leading to more reliable and meaningful results. Scintica is here to help empower research by simplifying solutions.