On a busy Wednesday afternoon in Westminster, pioneering students from the lifETIME CDT (Engineered Tissues for Discovery, Industry and Medicine) programme brought cutting-edge, animal-free science directly to Parliament. The event was hosted by Irene Campbell MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Phasing Out Animal Experiments in Medical Research.
The drop-in session gave MPs and Peers a hands-on glimpse into the future of medical research, one that is human-specific, innovative, and free from animal testing. 11 Parliamentarians came to the event, engaging directly with students to explore the transformative potential of ethical, human-relevant science.
This event followed the release of the 2024 annual statistics, which showed a disappointing 1.2% decrease in animal experiments. These latest figures are a stark reminder of the urgent need to support scientists developing modern, humane alternatives. The session powerfully demonstrated that the UK’s most brilliant young researchers are already delivering better outcomes for patients, without the use of animals.
Students and researchers from the lifETIME CDT programme presented a range of revolutionary projects:
Celia Ribes Balanza – Developing an on-chip system to model leukaemia progression using human cells and engineered hydrogels.
Athena Mattheou – Creating nature-inspired hydrogels to accelerate skin healing.
Shaima Maliha Riha – Investigating how physical cues affect protein folding in human cells, no animals involved.
Julia Isakova – Studying how inflammation alters cell surface glycans in rheumatoid arthritis.
Xally Montserrat Valencia Guerrero – Using fruit and vegetable fibres to grow human bone cells, an innovative, animal-free approach to studying bone disease.
Yanling Lan – Developing 3D cell models for more accurate human biology research.
The session was supported by Monika Maitles, Events Coordinator for lifETIME CDT, and by Dr. Catherine Berry, Reader in Cell Engineering at the University of Glasgow.
MPs and Peers who attended included:
- Irene Campbell MP
- Alex Mayer MP
- Martin Rhodes MP
- Adrian Ramsay MP
- Josh Newbury MP
- Baroness Natalie Bennett
- Seamus Logan MP
- Sarah Champion MP
- Alison Bennett MP
- Sam Rushworth MP
- Daniel Francis MP
As we continue to push for a future where medical research is both ethical and effective, events like this show that the transition is not only possible, it is already underway. Now, we must ensure that policy and funding support these pioneering efforts. Let’s back the scientists who are building a better future for patients.