From Bella Waters, The University Daily Kansan, December 17, 2024
A researcher at the University of Kansas Medical Center says his lab’s misconduct involving animal subjects was a result of protocol misunderstandings rather than intentional animal abuse.
The Kansan reported on an internal investigation that found that researchers in associate professor of pathology Liang Zheng’s lab committed multiple violations regarding their animal subjects.
Three of his research projects were suspended because of the investigation. The projects have since been resumed, and Zheng said the IACUC is watching his lab closely.
Zheng was reprimanded in the report for conducting surgeries on rats without proper approval.
Zheng said he thought he had approval when he did the surgeries, but he actually didn’t understand what the protocol was. Animal-use protocols are strict and precise.
According to the report, these rats did not receive proper care. They did not receive pain relievers after the surgery.
Zheng said he did not realize the rats needed pain relievers. He said his researchers received training from the veterinary department, but they weren’t told to give the rats pain relievers.
According to the report, 70 rats were unaccounted for. Zheng said these rats were humanely euthanized because they could not be used for an experiment.
It is standard for all animal test subjects to be euthanized when they are no longer needed.
The investigation also found a sloughed tail and hindlimb of a rat in Zheng’s lab in October.
Zheng said the rat’s limbs were removed by another rat overnight after it had died. He said it is standard to keep multiple rats in the same cages.
KU Medical Center has not made a statement yet. This story is ongoing and will be updated as more information becomes available.