Animal research ethics

Experimental animals are key elements for biomedical research, since they are used to develop strategies for the prevention and treatment of several transmissible and non-transmissible diseases, such as the vaccines for rabies, smallpox, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis or poliomyelitis, as well as the antibiotics or insulin treatment for diabetics.

Nowadays, there are also alternatives to the use of experimental animals. However, some type of experiments (i.e. research of certain pathologies and drugs) do not have alternative to animal testing, and submission and approval of the Ethical Committee for Animal Experimentation of the University or the Research Centre were the research project is going to be developed is required. The use of experimental animals must conform to the European Guidelines for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Directive 2010/63/EU) as well as to the national (Real Decreto 53/2013) and regional (Orden Foral del 5 de Agosto de 1991 in Navarra) legal framework.

What are the 3 R's?

In 1959, the zoologist William Moy Stratton Russell (1925-2006) and the microbiologist Rex Leonard Burch (1926-1996) wrote that scientific excellence and humane use of laboratory animals are inextricably linked. In the book “The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique”, they described “The 3 R’s” (Reduction, Refinement and Replacement), which are the ethical guidelines for animal use in life sciences. 

Russell and Burch were honoured guests in several major meetings regarding alternatives for the use of experimental animals. The brilliant Russell with a generous and cheerful disposition and the propensity to break out in a song, explained the benefits of the 3 R's in the 2nd World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences (Utrecht, The Netherlands, 1996) with a song, as you can observe in this video.

The 3 R's principle of Russell and Burch includes:

• Reduction: the number of animals should be the minimum necessary to test the experimental hypothesis and give statistically reliable results. In order to calculate an appropriate sample size, a priori statistic criteria should be used. The validation of alternative methods to the use of animals is also key to reduce the number of animals.
• Refinement: the procedures should be selected to eliminate or minimize the pain and distress or enhance the animal welfare. Much pain and distress can be reduced or eliminated by using analgesia, anaesthesia and non-invasive methods. Researchers can enhance the well-being of the experimental animals by using environmental enrichment techniques, such as proper handling, appropriately sized cages, or group housing of social species.
• Replacement alternatives include methods using less sensitive species (i.e. microorganisms, plants or invertebrates) or completely avoid the use of experimental animals, such as: i) mathematical and computer models; ii) in vitro studies with organs, tissues or cells in culture; and iii) human studies by using volunteers, surveys and epidemiology.       

CROSSWORD: complete the following crossword using one letter in each cell.

ACROSS:

1. The use of non-invasive procedures belongs to this "R" of the 3 R's principle.
2. A physician needs this academic degree and, at least, 10 years of experience in the use of experimental animals to obtain the C category for animal research (from right to left).
3. Ethically unacceptable end-point.
4. A method of refinement to achieve the absence of sense of pain while remaining conscious.
5. The "R" corresponding to the use of the minimum number of animals to achieve statistically reliable results.
6. Point at which the experiment is complete (from right to left).
7. Russell and _______ defined the 3 R's principle (from right to left).
8. Sheeps are _______ animals that require to be housed in social groups.
9. Term that refers to repetitive behaviours in captive animals, particularly those given an inadequate mental stimulation.

DOWN:

1. The use of less sensitive species belongs to this "R" of the 3 R's principle.
2. A period of isolation of the experimental animals arriving from abroad to prevent the spread of diseases and allow the animals to adapt to their new environment (from bottom to top).
3. _____ studies are preliminary studies used to evaluate the feasibility, time, cost or adverse effects in an attempt to predict an appropriate sample size and improve the methodology upon the final study.
4. The ________ mouse is an animal model of immune deficiency due to a genetic mutation that causes a deteriorated or absent thymus and requires aseptic housing conditions (i.e. positive air pressure cages).  
5. The use of ___________ is required to calculate an appropriate sample size.
6. Two words: building where the experimental animals are housed.
7. As researchers, if we must conform the Directive 2010/63/EU for the care and use of laboratory animals, we live in ________.
8. Experimental animals usually show identical _________ with the same phenotype to ensure reproducibility under the same experimental conditions.
9. The ethical guidelines for the use of experimental animals are resumed in the _____ principle (from bottom to top).

 



ANSWERS TO THE CROSSWORD: