Animal research and Parkinson's - our policy statement

Find out what we believe about the use of animals in Parkinson's research.

This policy statement has been developed with advice and guidance from people affected by Parkinson's, health and social care professionals and other experts.

What we believe about animal research

We believe there is an urgent need for ongoing research in order to advance our understanding of Parkinson's, improve treatments and ultimately find a cure.

We believe the use of animals is currently an essential tool in this research.

But we are committed to the minimum possible use of animals and to ensuring the highest regulatory standards are maintained.

Why we believe this

There is currently no cure for Parkinson's. Researchers are working to understand what causes the death of dopamine-producing nerve cells in the brain that leads to the onset of the condition.

The complex research necessary to make progress will only be successful if researchers are able to use animal models as part of an integrated research strategy.

What do we mean by animal research?

Medical research uses animal models to mimic aspects of a human medical condition. Animal models are living, non-human animals eg rodent, worm, fruit fly, fish.

Using animal models allows researchers to test treatments or ideas and find out if they may work and are safe before they are tried in humans.

What's the evidence?

The use of animals in research has contributed to many breakthroughs in our understanding of Parkinson's and the discovery of current treatments. This includes a key treatment, the drug levodopa. 

The development of many promising Parkinson's drugs and new approaches, such as gene therapy, have involved initial testing in animal models.

Full policy statement

Parkinson's UK policy statement: Use of animals in research (PDF, 145KB)

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