Animal testing in biomedical research in Europe

In 2011, just under 11.5 million animals were used for scientific and other experimental purposes in the European Union, for the benefit of human health.

Sometimes, if the experiments result in greater discomfort to certain animals, the burden per animal can be reduced by using more animals.

Animal experiments are one of the important links in the research chain. They are used to test whether a substance also works in an entire organism, before the substance is tested on humans. The majority of research on new drugs, new treatments or even on ways of preventing a disease is carried out with people, tissue cultures, computer models and other non-animal testing methods.

Not just anyone is allowed to work with laboratory animals. A researcher may only work with laboratory animals if he/she has a proper education and has succesfully finished a course in 'laboratory animal sciences’.

There are currently many new methods and instruments for interventions in which the patients are spared. These techniques are often complicated. Before surgeons can use these techniques on humans they first train on laboratory animals.

Animal testing is, where possible, being replaced by non-animal testing methods.

New techniques have resulted in an increasing amount of information being obtained per animal which means
that fewer animals are necessary to achieve good research outcomes. No more animals than necessary are allowed to be used in an experiment.

The animals are well cared for, are provided with the company of other animals and they get toys for a good quality of life. The animals are also handled in a kind and gentle way and anesthetic and painkillers are administered if necessary. Invasive experiments are stopped as soon as possible.

Every animal test is first assessed by the animal experiments committee. This ethics committee determines whether the research is important enough to what extent the laboratory animals can be part of the study.

Each institution has a laboratory animal expert who supervises the welfare of the animals. Each animal facility has a designated vet with expertise in laboratory animal medicine.

The European Directive 2010/63EU on animal experiments protect animals that are used for research. The most commonly used animals are mice. The zebrafish is increasingly used as the embryos develop outside the female body and can therefore be more easily examined.

Laboratory animal carers should have a diploma that specifically includes laboratory animals.

If research does not result in interesting outcomes it is not reported or published and there is a chance that other researchers will also carry out similar experiments.

Alternatives to animal testing are being broadly developed within the EU by University Medical Centers, industry, government bodies, research institutes, specialized laboratories and through EU funded projects.

Animal testing is only permitted if the expected benefits outweigh the expected harms of the animals.

New drugs are expected to be tested on laboratory animals before they may be further tested on humans (volunteers and patients).

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Based on tests carried out on rabbits, the first cornea transplants were performed on humans in the early 1900s.

In the 1940s the heart-lung machine was developed thanks to tests on dogs.

In the 1950s a polio vaccine was made possible thanks to tests on mice and monkeys.

A vaccine against Alzheimer’s disease is being developed that has proved effective in mice and is now being tested on humans.

Laboratory animals are identified to be able to tell them apart. This can be done either temporarily by shaving away some fur or marking the skin or fur with dye, or permanently using subcutaneous microchips or an ear tag. Sometimes this is not possible because the animals are too young, too small or do not have enough fur yet. In this case, the toe clipping method is used. These animals are 8 days old at the most.

Some experiments can make the animals sick. Researchers can often, at an earlier stage, already see what the outcome of an experiment will be. In the Netherlands is prohibited to make animals suffer longer than necessary to carry out the test. Researchers will then put the animals to sleep before they become seriously ill.

The bodies of humans and animals are very complex. In order to study the complicated interaction between cells and tissue in a whole body, laboratory animals are needed.

Certain strains of laboratory animals that are often used are bred by specialized breeders having a permit to do so. Special strains and lines are bred by the institutions themselves.

The welfare of the laboratory animals is of in constantly improving. The number of animal experiments in which the animals experience severe distress, such as a serious operation, is decreasing.

Scientific research shows that animals can experience pain and stress.

Drugs can cause side effects. Usually there are only a few side effects and they are harmless, but there are case in which they can be harmful. Further development of candidate drugs is often stopped as animal tests show that they are not safe enough, are not absorbed well or leave the body too quickly.

Alternative research methods could result in the use of fewer animals or less animal suffering. After the introduction of a suitable alternative it is quickly no longer seen as such and becomes commonplace. There is
much interest for the use of human material, for example, lab-grown skin.

Not all animal experiments ultimately result in a new drug or a new treatment.

Animal tests do not always prove that a drug is safe. Between 1957 and 1961, thalidomide was prescribed as a sleeping pill for pregnant women. This drug had been tested on mice but on humans it turned out to have a terrible side effect: many babies were born with malformed limbs, ears or organs. Nowadays, more detailed
tests are performed to determine potential side effects for pregnant women, particularly possible effects on the unborn child.

Active substances used to treat serious diseases often also have serious side effects (for example, chemotherapy). Animal tests are necessary to understand the side effects in an intact organism.

The introduction of legislation is aiming for reducing the number of animals. F.e. in the Netherlands there was a clear reduction in animal use after the introduction of this legislation in 1986.