Animal Research in Manchester
Animal Research at the Manchester Cancer Research Centre
At the Manchester Cancer Research Centre, we aim to be open and transparent about the research we support. This includes explaining when, how and why animals are used in some areas of cancer research.
The University of Manchester and Cancer Research UK are signatories of the Concordat on Openness in Animal Research, reflecting a shared commitment to clear, responsible communication about animal research.
Our researchers work to understand how cancer develops, how we can prevent it and how we can treat it more effectively. Most cancer research uses non-animal methods, but researchers can currently answer some questions only by using animal models. Researchers use animals only when the research is essential and no suitable alternative exists.
Why are animals used in cancer research?
Researchers use animals in some areas of cancer research to understand how cancer develops across the whole body and to assess how new treatments might work before clinical trials begin. Under UK law, researchers can carry out animal research only when no suitable alternative exists.
Researchers use non-animal methods wherever possible. These include human cells and tissues, organoids, computer modelling and other laboratory-based techniques. These approaches continue to improve, but they cannot yet fully reflect the complexity of a living body, where cancer interacts with the immune system, blood vessels and surrounding tissues.
Supporting advances in cancer care
Animal research has helped drive major advances in cancer care, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapies, vaccines and immunotherapy. Today, researchers use animal studies alongside non-animal approaches to support progress in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Routine welfare checks of laboratory mice by an animal technician
Mice huddled together while sleeping in their cage
What animals are used?
In the UK, most animal research involves mice, fish, birds or rats, with mice making up the largest proportion. Cancer researchers use mice widely because they share many biological features with humans, including similar genes, organs and body systems.
These similarities help researchers understand how cancers develop, spread and respond to treatment in ways that relate to human disease.
Safety checks before clinical trials
Before researchers can test a new medicine in people, they must complete a series of safety checks. As part of the UK regulatory process, these checks may include animal studies to show how a treatment behaves in the whole body. This helps ensure that only the safest and most promising treatments move into clinical trials.
In the UK, licensed breeders and suppliers must provide animals used in scientific research under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). They purpose-breed animals for research in controlled environments designed to support both animal welfare and high-quality science.
How are animal models used?
Scientists use animal models in research because the animals naturally have, or can develop, biological characteristics or diseases that resemble those in humans or other animals. In cancer research, scientists most commonly use mice as animal models.
Researchers may introduce cancer cells into mice to study tumour growth, or make precise genetic changes to understand how specific genes, proteins or immune pathways affect cancer. In some models, researchers genetically modify mice so tumours develop naturally over time, more closely reflecting how certain cancers arise.
These models help researchers investigate how tumours grow and spread, how the immune system interacts with cancer, and how cancers respond to treatment.
Meet Jo Roberts
Jo Roberts is the Named Animal Care and Welfare Officer at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, which houses mice. Jo is a senior animal technician with many years of experience and works at the heart of day-to-day animal care at the Institute.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some answers to the most common questions we are asked about animal research.
Researchers use non-animal approaches wherever possible. However, they still need animal research in some areas to better understand cancer and assess whether potential treatments are safe and effective before they reach patients.
The UK has strict rules for animal research. The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 sets out how researchers must plan, carry out and review any work involving animals. The Home Office oversees this system through the Animals in Science Regulation Unit.
Before a project can go ahead, researchers must show that:
- the research has clear justification
- there is no suitable non-animal alternative
- they have reduced harm as much as possible
Licensing
Animal research in the UK needs three levels of licence:
- Establishment licence: allows an institution to carry out regulated procedures. It confirms that the right facilities, systems and welfare standards are in place.
- Project licence: explains why the study is needed, what procedures it will involve and how researchers will protect animal welfare.
- Personal licence: allows a trained and assessed people to carry out regulated procedures on animals.
The 3Rs
The 3Rs are built into UK animal research law. They help researchers decide whether animal research is needed and how to reduce harm wherever possible.
- Replacement: use non-animal methods wherever possible.
- Reduction: use the fewest animals needed to produce reliable results.
- Refinement: improve care, procedures and monitoring to reduce pain, distress and harm.
The 3Hs
The 3Hs are a newer best-practice framework that works alongside the 3Rs. They focus on improving animals’ day-to-day experiences and welfare.
- Housing: provide enriched environments that encourage natural behaviours.
- Handling: use refined handling techniques that minimise restraint and reduce stress during routine procedures.
- Habituation: gradually familiarise animals with people and procedures through positive experiences.
Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body
Every organisation that carries out animal research under ASPA must have an Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body, often known as an AWERB.
The AWERB helps keep animal welfare at the centre of research. It checks that researchers can justify animal use, apply the 3Rs and consider welfare throughout a study. Members can include researchers, animal care staff, veterinary surgeons and independent lay members.
The AWERB:
- gives ethical advice to staff working with animals
- promotes the 3Rs and shares best practice
- reviews project licences and harm–benefit assessments
- supports a strong Culture of Care.
As part of ethical review, reviewers use a harm–benefit analysis. This weighs the likely scientific or medical benefits against the possible harms to animals, helping keep welfare central to every research decision.
Not yet. Researchers develop many new treatments using a combination of methods, including studies with human cells and tissues. These approaches can reduce the need for animal research, but they cannot yet fully replace it. Before researchers can test a new treatment in people, they need to understand how it behaves in a whole living system.
Some animal research can involve discomfort, pain or distress. Researchers must use anaesthesia or pain relief where appropriate and refine procedures to reduce suffering as much as possible.
Researchers classify procedure-related suffering by severity level. In Britain in 2024, ‘sub-threshold’ and ‘mild’ procedures accounted for 79% of experimental animal procedures, while ‘moderate’ procedures accounted for 16.3% and ‘severe’ procedures for 1.7%.
The use of animals in research raises important ethical questions, and people may hold different views. In the UK, researchers can use animals only when the work offers a clear scientific or medical benefit and no suitable alternatives exist. Reviewers must weigh the potential benefits against possible harm to animals, and strict regulations ensure researchers justify and minimise animal use.
Yes. The law requires researchers to minimise harm wherever possible. This includes using anaesthesia or pain relief where appropriate, refining procedures to reduce discomfort, and using the smallest number of animals needed to achieve reliable results.
Animal studies remain an important part of cancer research. If animal research stopped suddenly, progress in some areas would slow significantly. New medicines also need safety testing before clinical trials; without this step, researchers could test treatments in people without enough evidence from a whole-organism model.
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