Tiny flatworms which often stay in ponds, rivers and streams might exchange lab rats within the growth of remedies for schizophrenia, drug dependancy and different psychological well being problems, after scientists found the worms react to sure medication in the same strategy to rodents.
The worms come from a household often known as planaria, with some species beforehand considered “immortal” as a result of their distinctive regenerative talents, which incorporates the power to regenerate misplaced physique elements, together with whole brains.
A staff of scientists on the College of Studying gave the worms haloperidol, a drug used to deal with psychological well being situations, and located the worms turned a lot much less lively, similar to mice and rats do.
Earlier research have used planaria to analysis epilepsy remedies and to research drug dependancy, because the flatworms exhibit indicators of withdrawal signs. This new examine might assist to develop remedies for psychological well being situations akin to schizophrenia and hallucinations.
A 2024 examine reported that one in 69 UK adults are utilizing anti-psychotic remedy long-term.
Professor Vitaliy Khutoryanskiy, who led the examine from the College of Studying, mentioned: “This discovering provides to rising proof that tiny flatworms like planaria might play a beneficial function in how we examine the mind. They show sure responses to psychiatric medication that resemble these seen in mammals, however utilizing them entails far fewer moral issues.”
Tiny pond worms might assist discover new methods to deal with schizophrenia, develop understanding round drug dependancy and take a look at new medicines for psychological sicknesses (College of Studying)
In keeping with UK authorities knowledge, 882,000 mice and 144,060 rats have been utilized in animal analysis in 2023. A 2016 examine advised using rats and mice in neuroscience had risen from 20 per cent within the Nineteen Eighties, to over 50 per cent by the 2010s.
Regardless of efforts to make analysis extra moral, scientists nonetheless rely closely on rodents for testing. The researchers mentioned utilizing flatworms for finding out mind situations might probably scale back the variety of rodents utilized by scientists.
Professor Khutoryanskiy added: “Near one million mice and rats are utilized in UK analysis every year, however utilizing planaria as an alternative might probably reduce these numbers and nonetheless give us the solutions we have to develop higher remedies for individuals with critical psychological well being situations. It is good for science and it’s good for animal welfare.”
The analysis is printed within the journal Pharmaceutical Analysis.
