Animal experiments in Saxony: one third less approved in 2024

Experiments mainly on mice and zebrafish

Experiments on mice (112,000) were carried out most frequently in Saxony, followed by zebrafish (8,100). Tests were also carried out on rats (1,500), pigs (2,500) and cattle (222). In addition, 11 dogs were among the laboratory animals, the majority of which were used in higher education and vocational training.

TU Dresden uses the most laboratory animals

Researchers at TU Dresden used the majority of laboratory animals. According to their own figures, almost 91,000 animals were used in research in 2023 and around 4,000 of them were killed. For example, researchers conducted experiments on pigs as part of a project to optimize mechanical ventilation, which is often used in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and also in severe cases of COVID-19.

In experiments with mice, a team showed how certain body signals can change the intestine in such a way that colon cancer can develop.

In Saxony, six other research institutes carry out animal experiments: the Fraunhofer Institute, the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers, the State Office for Environment, Agriculture and Geology, the LUPUS Institute for Wolf Monitoring and Research in Germany, the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics and the University of Leipzig.

Copyright 2025, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reserved