In Rabbit Research, Here’s the Story

Animal scientists from within and outside Charles River pen the first-ever reference book devoted to rabbit pathology 

Given the century of research using rabbits as animal models, veterinary pathologist Alys Bradley was initially surprised by the scarcity of reference materials devoted exclusively to this mighty but often overlooked animal. However, it wasn’t until COVID-19 put laboratories into overdrive that she was propelled to do something about it. 

Bradley, the Senior Director of Pathology for Charles River’s European Safety Assessment division based at the Edinburgh site, spearheaded a project to give rabbit research the space it deserved in scientific literature. She enlisted the help of scientific experts from within and outside Charles River to write "Pathology of the Laboratory Rabbit," a comprehensive text that describes the spontaneous pathology observed in common laboratory rabbit strains, notably the New Zealand and Dutch Belted strains. The book was published in 2025 by Elsevier Press, and Bradley could not be prouder. Eureka dropped in on Bradley to find out a little more about the genesis of this book and what’s in it.

Before we delve into the book, could you tell us a little about your background?

Alys: I’m a pathologist by training. Before joining Charles River, I worked at the University of Edinburgh. While I was there, I also served as the pathologist for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and was the pathologist for the exotic animal clinic at the University Veterinary hospital, so I saw a lot of rabbits.

Explain how the recent pandemic pushed you to publish this reference book about rabbit models? 

Alys: During the COVID-19 pandemic, I was reviewing a rabbit study and realized how little had been published about rabbit toxicology. What’s more, all the knowledge about rabbit pathology was contained in the heads of a handful of people, many within my lab. We had collected a lot of data for the INHAND terminology guide, describing the pathology nomenclature which should be used on rabbit studies, when we decided to publish our own, more in-depth textbook. Next thing you know, I was talking to Elsevier Press, and they were like, yeah, yeah, let’s do it.  

How many scientists contributed to this book, and were they all pathologists?

Alys: There were 34 contributors to this project, mainly pathologists but also toxicologists and clinical veterinarians.

Where are rabbit models used most frequently in research?

Alys: They tend to be used for DART [developmental and reproductive toxicology) studies and vaccine studies, as well as eye research. For these three areas, a significant number of studies have been published. But for normal standard tox studies, where you need the full tissue, there is hardly anything published. Nor is there much in the way of references for some of the organ systems.

I imagine this book would be uniquely valuable for early-career investigators new to rabbit pathology. 

Alys: Yes, that was another reason we published the book. Younger scientists often lack colleagues nearby whom they can turn to for guidance. For instance, in our corridor, we have 10 trained pathologists, but not all of them are in the lab every day, and three of my team work remotely. So, if you are an early-career pathologist analyzing a lesion from a rabbit and see something unusual in the section, there may not be someone nearby to consult about what you are seeing and how to classify it.  

Could you describe how the chapters are organized?

Alys: We began by discussing why you would choose a rabbit model and the regulatory issues to consider when using these animals. We also included a brief section on infectious diseases that affect rabbits and organized the book by different organ systems. So, if you were reading a rabbit study and found something in the liver, you could go to the liver chapter and see what kinds of things to look for in the rabbit liver.

Are there organs in the rabbit that are particularly interesting from a pathology perspective?

Alys: Yeah, the main one is the digestive system. That’s because the digestive system of a rabbit is completely different from the digestive systems you’d look at. The rabbit also has additional secondary immune system organs within the digestive system, which could confuse someone when seen for the first time, as the gut-associated lymphoid tissue is very large and accounts for 50% of the body's total lymphoid tissue mass.

What other unusual aspects do scientists need to consider when using rabbits in drug studies?

Alys: There are a lot of rumors that you can’t give rabbits antibiotics. It is true that one class of antibiotics triggers an allergic reaction, but other antibiotics do not. The infectious diseases chapter should hopefully help dispel this rumor and offer guidance on how to use antibiotics appropriately in rabbits.

What are some of the other misconceptions people have about rabbits?

Alys: Some people think rabbits are difficult to handle. But if you are gentle when you pick them up, they are fine; they don’t struggle. Programs to support habituation of rabbits successfully solve the misconceptions about handling and we have those skills. Our book includes a chapter on the clinical examination of rabbits, which covers how to safely pick up and handle a rabbit, as well as how to take blood samples. 

In conclusion...

Alys: This book is intended to provide a guide for the bench pathologist unfamiliar with rabbit pathology and also provide reference material so that Sponsors can confidently turn to the rabbit as a second (non-rodent) species for general toxicology studies.

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