Tiny flatworms which normally dwell in ponds, rivers and streams could change lab rats in the development of therapies for schizophrenia, drug dependancy and other mental health problems, after scientists found the worms react to certain medication in a comparable approach to rodents.
The worms come from a household recognized as planaria, with some species beforehand thought to be “immortal” due to their distinctive regenerative skills, which consists of the capability to regenerate lost physique elements, including total brains.
A group of scientists at the University of Reading gave the worms haloperidol, a drug used to deal with mental health circumstances, and discovered the worms turned much less energetic, just like mice and rats do.
Previous research have used planaria to analysis epilepsy therapies and to examine drug dependancy, as the flatworms exhibit indicators of withdrawal symptoms. This new research could help to develop therapies for mental health circumstances such as schizophrenia and hallucinations.
A 2024 research reported that one in 69 UK adults are utilizing anti-psychotic treatment long-term.
Professor Vitaliy Khutoryanskiy, who led the research from the University of Reading, said: “This finding adds to growing evidence that tiny flatworms like planaria could play a valuable role in how we study the brain. They display certain responses to psychiatric drugs that resemble those seen in mammals, but using them involves far fewer ethical concerns.”
Tiny pond worms could help discover new methods to deal with schizophrenia, develop understanding around drug dependancy and take a look at new medicines for mental sicknesses (University of Reading)
According to UK authorities knowledge, 882,000 mice and 144,060 rats were used in animal analysis in 2023. A 2016 research advised the use of rats and mice in neuroscience had risen from 20 per cent in the Nineteen Eighties, to over 50 per cent by the 2010s.
Despite efforts to make analysis more moral, scientists still rely closely on rodents for testing. The researchers said utilizing flatworms for learning mind circumstances could doubtlessly cut back the quantity of rodents used by scientists.
Professor Khutoryanskiy added: “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. It’s good for science and it’s good for animal welfare.”
The analysis is printed in the journal Pharmaceutical Research.
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