Lessons from Toxicology: Developing a 21st-Century Paradigm for Medical Research.

Biomedical developments in the 21st century provide an unprecedented opportunity to gain a dynamic systems-level and human-specific understanding of the causes and pathophysiologies of disease. This understanding is a vital need, in view of continuing failures in health research, drug discovery, and clinical translation. The full potential of advanced approaches may not be achieved within a 20th-century conceptual framework dominated by animal models.

A vision becoming reality.

Non-animal science in toxicology and health research has been progressing for decades, but only now is it being seen widely as advanced science. The emergence of novel human biology-based tools and models, combined with legislative and regulatory change, a 21st century concept for toxicology, continuing failures in the drug pipeline, and systematic critiques of animal models, have created a pivotal moment of change. The leading edge is starting to become the norm.

Estimates for worldwide laboratory animal use in 2005.

Animal experimentation continues to generate public and political concern worldwide. Relatively few countries collate and publish animal use statistics, yet this is a first and essential step toward public accountability and an informed debate, as well as being important for effective policy-making and regulation. The implementation of the Three Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement of animal experiments) should be expected to result in a decline in animal use, but without regular, accurate statistics, this cannot be monitored.

Replacing animal experiments: choices, chances and challenges.

Replacing animal procedures with methods such as cells and tissues in vitro, volunteer studies, physicochemical techniques and computer modelling, is driven by legislative, scientific and moral imperatives. Non-animal approaches are now considered as advanced methods that can overcome many of the limitations of animal experiments. In testing medicines and chemicals, in vitro assays have spared hundreds of thousands of animals.

Report of a meeting to discuss a National Centre for the Replacement of Animals in Experiments.

Following the publication of their joint proposal for a National Centre for the Replacement of Animals in Experiments in 2002, the Dr Hadwen Trust and the Lord Dowding Fund organised a meeting, held on 18 November 2003 at Portcullis House, Westminster, in London, in order to discuss the concept further. A one-page summary of their proposal is attached as an appendix, and full copies are available from the Lord Dowding Fund and the Dr Hadwen Trust. The meeting aimed to discuss the need to stimulate and promote research to replace animal experiments by means of a National Centre (a coordinating body), and how this should be established and funded.