Tiny worms found in ponds and river could help treat schizophrenia
How worms could be used in future mental health treatments
- Scientists at the University of Reading have discovered that tiny flatworms, known as planaria, could serve as an alternative to rodents in developing treatments for mental health disorders.
- The research found that these worms react to psychiatric drugs, such as haloperidol, in a similar way to mice and rats, becoming less active.
- This breakthrough could aid in the development of new treatments for conditions like schizophrenia and hallucinations, building on previous studies using planaria for epilepsy and drug addiction research.
- Professor Vitaliy Khutoryanskiy, who led the study, highlighted that using flatworms involves significantly fewer ethical concerns compared to mammals.
- The adoption of planaria in research could potentially reduce the high number of mice and rats, close to a million annually, currently used in UK laboratories.