In vivo animal studies are essential to VA-funded research conducted at VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System.
The Aim of this proposal is to obtain funds to purchase ventilated cage racks needed to provide husbandry compliant with regulatory specifications and state-of-the-art biocontainment for housing rodents at the new Animal Research Facility (ARF). The integrated cage systems have unique specifications including racks mounted on Ecoflo blowers, HEPA air filters at low velocity that maintain a stable environment, exhaust plenums that remain negative to the room minimizing that contaminated air is released to the room, and smaller footprints with increased housing capacity. The requested cages are compatible with the room dimensions and exhaust system of the new facility. Currently, 10 VA and NIH funded investigators house their research animals in the VA facility, which is a converted 1950s nursing quarters that lacks many capabilities and features needed to conduct state-of-the-art animal research. Due to the inadequacy of the current ARF, 8 additional investigators conduct animal studies at the University of Pittsburgh through a contract with the affiliate. With the completion of the new ARF and the installation of modern, state of the art caging systems, we anticipate that investigators who currently house their animals at the University of Pittsburgh will move their animals back to the VA. Thus, purchase of these cages represents a long-term investment aimed at retaining existing and funded VA investigators and attracting new VA investigators by enhancing the animal husbandry quality and capabilities of our Animal Research Facility.
Biomedical research at the VA Pittsburgh encompasses a broad spectrum of medical fields and is aimed at improving diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of disorders that are highly prevalent in Veterans. Major areas addressed include TBI, pulmonary diseases, cancer, stroke, infectious diseases, sepsis and bone physiology. Studies using animal models of disease are essential to VA-funded research conducted at VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. This proposal aims to obtain funding to purchase ventilated cage racks to house mice and rats used in these studies. These cage rack systems provide the highest health standards for animals by and protect laboratory personnel who handle the animals. This equipment represents a long-term investment aimed at enhancing the research capabilities needed for VA-funded research with the ultimate goal of increasing the pace of scientific and translational discoveries that will lead to new treatments for Veterans.
