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Welcome to HazARD!In biomedical research, many hazardous substances are administered to animals. These substances may be administered to induce the disease condition of interest, or to transform the animal into an appropriate model to evaluate potential treatments or diagnostic methods. For example, carcinogens may be administered to induce cancer, anti-neoplastics administered to study cancer treatment, and viral vectors administered to introduce foreign genetic material. Animals receiving hazardous substances must be managed appropriately to decrease or eliminate the health risk that the hazards may pose to humans and other research animals. However, it can be difficult to determine the necessary safety practices because although much may be known regarding the effects of direct human exposure, information is not readily available on the potential risks and sources of exposures following animal administration. We have developed HazARD: Hazards in Animal Research Database, a unique web-based database examining the health risks and induced pathobiology associated with hazardous substances administered to laboratory animal modes (e.g., rodents). The database also provides comparative information across humans, rodents, and other animal species. The classes of hazardous substances examined are chemicals, infectious agents (bacterial, viral, and recombinant agents), and toxins. Information provided for each substance includes its primary use in animal research, physical and biologic characteristics, pathogenesis and induced symptoms or signs in humans and select animal species, and recommended animal handling and waste disposal methods. The database is manually curated, is stored in a MySQL database, can be queried through our website powered by PHP and Apache server, and is continually updated. Information is thoroughly referenced with sources from peer-reviewed publications, textbooks, and credible websites. Users can submit information that will be reviewed and verified prior to acceptance. Individuals with expertise with a substance are invited to review information submitted for inclusion in the database system. HazARD is designed for use by researchers, laboratory animal veterinarians, and occupational health professionals when planning and implementing animal research involving hazardous substances. The comparative medicine aspects will facilitate the work of researchers involved in translational research.
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