Health
PETA pleads with NIH to stop funding for animal study, calls sleep experiment 'cruel and horrific'
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has reached out not only to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with a plea, but to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as well, asking him to help stop a planned research study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which it claims involves cruelty to animals.
The study, intended to gather information about age-related cognitive decline, involves disrupting the sleep of aged marmosets, which are small, long-tailed South American monkeys.
“As the governor of the state with the largest number of older Americans, [DeSantis] is in a unique position to condemn — before they begin — planned ‘aging’ experiments on tiny marmoset monkeys,” PETA articulated in an email to Fox News Digital about its outreach.
ALZHEIMER’S PATIENTS DIVIDED INTO 5 SUBGROUPS, POTENTIALLY ENABLING ‘PERSONALIZED MEDICINE,’ STUDY FINDS
“PETA has obtained documents showing that [a research team] is going to be waking the monkeys every 15 minutes all night long by blaring loud noise at them,” the email continued.
In the letter to DeSantis, which was shown exclusively to Fox News Digital, Kathy Guillermo, senior vice president of PETA’s Laboratory Investigations Department, described the study as “horrific.”
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) reached out to the National Institutes of Health about a planned study to take place at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (shown above, left). The study will disrupt the sleep of aged marmosets in an attempt to learn more about age-related cognitive decline. PETA sent a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida as well, hoping that he might step in as the governor of a state with “the largest number of older Americans.” (iStock)
“Keeping a monkey from sleeping — considered a form of torture in humans that can ultimately result in death — won’t mimic insomnia in people,” she wrote.
“This proposed experiment is so cruel that it’s classified by the university as what’s called a ‘Column E’ study — meaning it causes distress and pain without any relief.”
NEW ALZHEIMER’S TREATMENT ACCELERATES REMOVAL OF PLAQUE FROM THE BRAIN IN CLINICAL TRIALS
The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is led by Agnès Lacreuse, a professor at the University of Massachusetts–Amherst, and will be conducted at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, according to records on the NIH website.
PETA sent this letter to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis asking for his help in stopping a planned study to take place at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It says the Sunshine State has over 412,000 PETA members and supporters in Florida. (PETA)
PETA sent a second, more detailed letter to the NIH.
“The proposed experiments involve causing nonhuman primates irreversible harm for experiments that offer little to no new scientifically valuable knowledge or human benefit,” stated the letter, which is signed by Katherine V. Roe, Ph.D., a neuroscientist at PETA’s Laboratory Investigations Department.
FASTING COULD REDUCE SIGNS OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE, STUDIES SUGGEST: ‘PROFOUND EFFECTS’
Roe urged the NIH to “consider discontinuing funding for these extremely invasive experiments so that those resources can be directed toward research that could actually help our ever-growing aging population.”
The study, intended to gather information about age-related cognitive decline, involves disrupting the sleep of aged marmosets, which are small, long-tailed South American monkeys. (iStock)
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Roe of PETA acknowledged that “improving the lives of the aging population in the U.S. is of ever-increasing importance and deserves serious attention from the scientific community.”
She also stated, however, “It is appalling that the NIH is wasting taxpayer funds waking marmosets up night after night in experiments that are not only cruel and unnecessary, but have no chance of improving human health.”
Roe suggested that “better studies can and have been done with human volunteers.”
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) corporate headquarters building in Norfolk, Virginia, in May 2023. (iStock)
“The NIH and the Wisconsin National Primate Center should be ashamed of themselves for subjecting these monkeys to maximum pain experiments under the guise of meaningful science,” she added.
University defends the study’s safety, importance
Michelle Ciucci, faculty director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Animal Program and professor of surgery, told Fox News Digital that researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Massachusetts-Amherst are collaborating on a study of Alzheimer’s disease.
“They are focusing on the role [that] poor sleep plays in this debilitating disorder that often results in deadly complications,” she said.
NEW ALZHEIMER’S TREATMENT ACCELERATES REMOVAL OF PLAQUE FROM THE BRAIN IN CLINICAL TRIALS
Their goal, she said, is to develop a new way to study Alzheimer’s.
“To better understand and combat human diseases like Alzheimer’s, researchers must turn to animals to mimic complex human biology,” Ciucci said.
“Nonhuman primates like marmosets share similar features of their biology with humans — in particular, their brains — and offer opportunities to study the causes of Alzheimer’s and potential treatments,” a faculty director and researcher told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“Nonhuman primates like marmosets share similar features of their biology with humans — in particular, their brains — and offer opportunities to study the causes of Alzheimer’s and potential treatments.”
In this NIH-funded pilot study, researchers plan to disrupt the sleep of adult marmosets, a primate species that is often used in brain studies, noted Ciucci.
“To better understand and combat human diseases like Alzheimer’s, researchers must turn to animals to mimic complex human biology.”
“Other scientists have discovered connections between disrupted sleep and conditions including dementia and Alzheimer’s, but have not yet established poor sleep as a cause of those disorders,” she said.
During the course of the study, a small group of the animals will be awakened from sleep several times over the course of one night, Ciucci said.
The study will be conducted at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, according to NIH records. (iStock)
In later phases, they will be awakened over the course of three nights in a row.
“The animals, attended to by specially trained veterinarians in carefully managed conditions, will be awakened by sound — short tones played at about the same volume as a normal conversation or an alarm clock,” she said. “The sound will be loud enough to wake the animals but not scare them.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
The researchers will track the animals’ behavior, cognitive skills and other “biological indicators” to determine whether the sleep disruptions result in cognitive impairment and biochemical changes similar to those seen in human Alzheimer’s patients, the researcher told Fox News Digital.
As far as why the study is classified as “Category E,” Ciucci said it’s possible that the sleep disruptions “may cause discomfort that cannot be addressed with typical methods like medication.”
It would be “unethical and difficult” to use humans in a study to explore sleep’s role in the development of a disease like Alzheimer’s, researchers noted. (iStock)
“Providing medications or other means of relief would interfere with the validity of the study and its interpretations,” she said.
It would be “unethical and difficult” to use humans in a study to explore sleep’s role in the development of a disease like Alzheimer’s, the researcher noted.
“Until scientists understand the causes and development of Alzheimer’s in a way that helps them study more treatments in humans, studying animal models of the disease remains necessary to researchers, patient advocacy organizations like the Alzheimer’s Association, the public and experts at federal agencies — including the National Institutes of Health, which vetted and funded the marmoset sleep study because they consider it promising and important to public health,” she added.
Fox News Digital reached out to both Gov. DeSantis’ office and to the NIH requesting additional comment.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews/health.
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Research continues to uncover new details on how fasting may help extend life.
A new study published in the journal Nature Communications investigated how intermittent fasting can boost longevity in small worms often used in aging research.
Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas compared worms that were fed normally to those that underwent a 24-hour fast in early adulthood and were then fed again, according to a press release.
POPULAR INTERMITTENT FASTING DIETS MAY NOT DELIVER THE HEALTH BENEFITS MANY EXPECT
The scientists measured a variety of factors, including stored fat, gene activity related to fat metabolism and lifespan.
The results showed that the life-boosting benefit did not depend on the fasting itself but on the body’s behavior after eating again.
Experts say sustainability is key when choosing a long-term weight-loss strategy. (iStock)
Study lead Peter Douglas, associate professor of molecular biology and a member of the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine at UT Southwestern, suggested that these discoveries “shift the focus toward a neglected side of the metabolic coin – the re-feeding phase.”
“Our data suggest that the health-promoting effects of intermittent fasting are not merely a product of the fast itself, but are dependent on how the metabolic machinery recalibrates during the subsequent transition back to a fed state,” he said.
PEOPLE LOST WEIGHT WHILE EATING SIGNIFICANTLY MORE FOOD — HERE’S THE SECRET
“Our findings bridge a gap between lipid metabolism and aging research,” he added. “By targeting aging, the single greatest risk factor for human disease, we move beyond treating isolated conditions toward a preventive model of medicine that enhances quality of life for all individuals.”
Lauri Wright, director of nutrition programs at the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health, called this a “high-quality” study that adds an “important nuance to how we think about fasting and longevity.”
Intermittent fasting typically involves limiting meals to an eight-hour daily window or fasting every other day. (iStock)
The benefits of the refeeding phase after fasting were “especially interesting,” Wright, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
“The researchers showed that longevity was linked to the body’s ability to turn off fat breakdown after fasting, allowing cells to restore energy balance,” she reiterated.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“From a scientific standpoint, that’s a meaningful shift because it suggests fasting is not just about burning fat, but about metabolic flexibility.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
Fasting may support longevity through triggering metabolic switching, enhancing cellular repair and stress resistance and improving markers like insulin sensitivity, research shows.
Limitations and cautions
Although this study provides “important insight” on the power of refeeding, Wright noted that the findings should be approached with caution, as the study was done on worms and cannot always be translated to humans.
“Additionally, it explains how a process might work in a controlled lab condition rather than real-world eating behaviors,” she added as a limitation. “Finally, the study is short-term and doesn’t give us the long-term translation on lifespan outcomes.”
The review found intermittent fasting was barely more effective than doing nothing, according to the study authors. (iStock)
Wright cautioned that fasting is “not a magic solution for longevity, and how you eat overall matters more than when you eat.”
“I advise, first and foremost, to focus on diet quality, including a variety of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and minimally processed foods,” she said.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
For those who are considering fasting, it’s better to stick with a moderate plan — like a 12- to 14-hour overnight fast — rather than going to extremes, Wright said. After fasting, she recommends focusing on well-balanced meals.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Several groups of people should be cautioned against fasting, according to Wright, including those with diabetes who are on insulin or hypoglycemic medications, those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, anyone with a history of eating disorders and older adults at risk of malnutrition.
Anyone considering intermittent fasting should consult with a doctor before starting.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
More than three million people travel to undergo cosmetic surgery each year, statistics show — but the potential savings come at a cost.
Most people opting to pursue this so-called “medical tourism” are chasing budget-friendly price tags.
International surgeries, such as hair transplants in Turkey, can cost as little as $4,000 to $5,000 compared to $20,000 to $30,000 in the U.S., but often come with extreme risks, according to board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Sheila Nazarian of California.
DOCTORS WARN OF ‘LOOKSMAXXING’ DANGERS AFTER INFLUENCER’S LIVESTREAM EMERGENCY
The doctor recently joined Lisa Brady on the “The FOX News Rundown” podcast to discuss the rising trend of medical tourism. One of the biggest risks, she said, is the lack of safety regulations in popular destinations like Mexico and Turkey.
As demand spikes in these medical tourism “mills,” there have been reports of non-medically trained staff performing procedures like hair transplants.
Most people opting to pursue “medical tourism” are chasing budget-friendly price tags. (iStock)
“I’ve heard that they [international clinics] are even recruiting people who maybe were taxi drivers and then putting them through their own training program … to become hair transplant technicians,” Nazarian said. “That’s how high the demand has become.”
In the U.S., medical school graduates are granted a “physician and surgeon” license, which means doctors — including pediatricians or OB-GYNs — can legally perform cosmetic surgeries, even if they didn’t receive specialized training for those procedures during residency, Nazarian noted.
WHAT IS BUTT MICRONEEDLING? BEHIND THE ‘DESPERATE’ PROCEDURE KELLY RIPA TRIED
Instead of pinching pennies, the doctor recommended paying whatever amount is necessary to ensure quality treatment.
“People think of it as, you know, going to the mall. … It’s surgery, and surgery has risks,” she said. “You need to be with someone who not only can perform a beautiful surgery, but who can handle possible complications well.”
“You need to ask them: ‘What was your residency training in? And if you wanted to, would you be allowed to do this procedure in a hospital?’”
Aftercare is another critical factor in the success and safety of a cosmetic procedure, as the doctor emphasized that 20% of a surgical result depends on post-operative care.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
This can be difficult or even impossible to manage when a doctor is in a different time zone, she cautioned, or if the clinic disappears shortly after the procedure.
Nazarian also noted the importance of addressing the psychological component of plastic surgery, noting that no procedure will fix underlying unhappiness. The doctor said she uses screening questionnaires to ensure that patients are truly seeking self-improvement rather than a “cure” for deeper issues.
International surgeries, such as hair transplants in Turkey, can cost as little as $4,000 to $5,000 compared to $20,000 to $30,000 in the U.S., but often come with extreme risks. (iStock)
“If you’re not already generally very content with your life, a knife in my hand is not going to bring you there,” Nazarian said.
“The analogy I always give is you don’t want a paisley couch — you want a neutral couch and you can put paisley pillows on it,” she said, noting that a procedure should “make you look normal, God-given, athletic. And then you can change your clothes when the trends come and go.”
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Samuel Golpanian, M.D., a double board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, said he has also seen an increasing number of patients undergoing cosmetic procedures abroad, sometimes with “devastating consequences.”
“The key is being extremely careful before embarking on this journey.”
“I’ve seen a wide range of complications, including infections, poor wound healing, significant scarring and tissue necrosis (skin death),” he told Fox News Digital. “These complications often lead to prolonged pain, ongoing medical problems, and significant additional costs to repair the damage.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
Golpanian said he’s treated patients who received unsafe or non-medical-grade injectable materials, which can lead to serious long-term health issues.
One surgeon said he’s treated patients who received unsafe or non-medical-grade injectable materials, which can lead to serious long-term health issues. (iStock)
“I’ve also seen damage to underlying structures, asymmetry and results that are extremely difficult — sometimes impossible — to correct.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“That said, I’ve also seen some good outcomes, so it’s not all bad,” he noted. “The key is being extremely careful before embarking on this journey.”
Quick tips for safe ‘medical tourism’
Fully vet the surgeon. “Most surgeons will provide information about their education and training, but it’s important not to accept these claims at face value,” Golpanian said. “Verify them directly by contacting the institutions where they trained.”
Ask for references from prior patients. Ideally, it’s best to get references from U.S.-based patients who can speak candidly about both their experience and their results, the surgeonsaid.
Think beyond the cost. Golpanian emphasized the adage “you get what you pay for.” “Cost should take a back seat to experience, training, judgment and proven results,” he advised.
Be cautious about relying on before-and-after photos. These can be selective or even enhanced, Golpanian warned.
Keep aftercare in focus. “Make sure the practice emphasizes comprehensive follow-up care and has a clear, realistic post-operative plan in place.”
-
Entertainment20 seconds agoKarol G at Coachella was a global hit. Yet other foreign acts fear touring the U.S.
-
Lifestyle6 minutes agoL.A.’s unofficial Statue of Liberty is a Fashion Nova billboard off the 10 Freeway
-
Politics12 minutes agoOrdered free, still locked up: Judges fume as Trump administration holds ICE detainees
-
Science18 minutes agoA renewed threat to JPL as the Trump administration tries again to cut NASA
-
Sports24 minutes agoAfter 55 years as a broadcaster in L.A., Randy Rosenbloom is leaving town
-
World36 minutes agoBulgaria votes in eighth election in five years
-
News1 hour agoReal estate investors are buying up long-term care facilities. Residents can suffer
-
Detroit, MI3 hours agoFormer Piston shows Detroit what they’re missing as he dominates next to LeBron