The Institute of Laboratory Animal Sciences (ILAS) is a comprehensive national research center for laboratory animals and comparative medicine. ILAS is a unique research unit that integrates the conservation, breeding, and supply of laboratory animals and animal disease models, combining the comparative study of medical technology with technical training.
ILAS focuses primarily on laboratory animal resources, comparative medicine, and experiments with pathogens. Laboratory animal resources include genetically engineered animal models, experimental animals, human disease animal models, and collaborative cross mice.
ILAS also houses a resource center for the genetic engineering of animal models and disease-specific species that is open to researchers. Research in comparative medicine focuses mainly on neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory system diseases, metabolic diseases, intestinal microecology and diseases, skin diseases, and cancer.
ILAS has the largest collection of human disease animal models and facilities for comparative medical analysis in China, which are shared with researchers from all over the world. Pathogen experiments based on animal models for serious infectious diseases such as AIDS, influenza, and tuberculosis, and new infectious diseases, such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Ebola, and Zika, have led to the establishment of China’s only infectious disease animal model center and preclinical pharmacodynamics facility. This center offered significant help in vaccine development and establishing drug reserves during the major infectious disease outbreaks in China.
ILAS provides technical help with laboratory animals for national efforts in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases and for drug discovery. Its research facilities include the Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, the Ministry of Health and the Key Laboratory of Animal Models of Human Diseases, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
To better meet the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act, ILAS has set up an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committeethat aims to build an advanced management system for the use of laboratory animals throughout the country.
There are two national academic journals affiliated with ILAS: Acta Laboratorium Animalis Scientia Sinica and the Chinese Journal of Comparative Medicine. The Chinese Association for Laboratory Animal Sciences and the Technical Committee on Laboratory Animals of the Standardization Committee of China are also affiliated with ILAS.
