What Can Be Done To Change Animal Testing

Table of Contents

What Is NIEHS Doing?
Further Reading

Introduction

science tubes in lab

Scientists often written report the furnishings of drugs and chemicals on animals before they deem them safe for humans.

When possible, they try to perform these toxicology tests using biochemical or jail cell-based (in vitro) systems instead of with animals such as mice. For example, researchers successfully created in vitro methods to identify astringent eye irritants and substances that could crusade allergic contact dermatitis.¹ However, the development of in vitro tests that can reliably place chemical hazards resulting in cancer or nascence defects is more difficult considering of the complexity of the biological processes involved.

Computer programs with advanced systems based on large chemic databases tin can predict a chemical'south toxicity, reducing the need for beast testing in some situations.

The concept of replacing, reducing, or refining replacing, reducing, or refining fauna employ in inquiry and testing was first described more than than 60 years ago² and is commonly referred to every bit 3Rs:

Replacing: A test method that substitutes traditional beast models with non-brute systems such as computer models or biochemical or cell-based systems, or replaces one animal species with a less developed one (for example, replacing a mouse with a worm).
Reducing: A test method that decreases the number of animals required for testing to a minimum while even so achieving testing objectives.
Refining: A test method that eliminates pain or distress in animals, or enhances animal well-beingness, such as by providing better housing or enrichment.

Test methods that comprise the 3Rs are referred to every bit new alternative methods.

Nether U.S. law and policies, scientists must consider alternative methods earlier using animals for toxicology research and testing.

TheAnimal Welfare Act requires that committees in facilities conducting animal inquiry and testing approve proposed animal use and ensure that alternatives are used where appropriate.
ThePublic Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Apply of Laboratory Animals, which applies to NIH and other federal agencies nether the U.S. Public Health Service, requires that research proposals justify animal use and the specific procedures.

The NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 directed the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support research to supercede, reduce, and refine animal use in biomedical research, and to develop and validate alternatives to fauna employ for astute and chronic safety testing. Activities carried out under this Act led to the Interagency Analogous Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM) Authorization Act of 2000. ICCVAM, comprised of representatives of U.S. federal agencies that use or generate toxicity testing information, coordinates activities within the federal regime relevant to new test method evaluation, acceptance, and use.

What Is NIEHS Doing?

NIEHS, an ICCVAM member agency, supports evolution of culling methods to animate being testing in its in-firm research and through grants to external researchers and pocket-size businesses.

TheNational Toxicology Program (NTP) Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods (NICEATM) conducts many of these enquiry activities, including:

Conducting and publishing analyses and evaluations of data from new, revised, and culling testing approaches.
Providing data to test method developers, regulators, and regulated manufacture through itswebsite and other communications.
Organizing workshops and symposia on topics of interest.
Providing bioinformatics and computational toxicology support to NTP and NIEHS projects, especially those related to Tox 21, a program from the NTP in collaboration with other agencies that researchs, develops, evaluates, and translates innovative test methods to better predict how substances may affect humans and the environment.

NICEATM scientistspublish scientific papers describing activities relevant to alternative methods development. These activities include evaluating new methods and approaches, and developing tools and compiling reference data for apply by exam method developers. They as well report on related workshops, review alternative methods, and comment on testing status.

NICEATM supports the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative methods (ICCVAM), which evaluates and prepares recommendations on test methods proposed for regulatory use.Examination methods recommended past ICCVAM and accepted by U.S. and international regulatory authorities include ways to assess hazards for eye and skin irritation, acute toxicity, and skin sensitization.