TY - JOUR
T1 - Ethical considerations regarding animal experimentation
AU - INTERNATIONAL BIOETHICS STUDY GROUP
AU - Kiani, Aysha Karim
AU - Pheby, Derek
AU - Henehan, Gary
AU - Brown, Richard
AU - Sieving, Paul
AU - Sykora, Peter
AU - Marks, Robert
AU - Falsini, Benedetto
AU - Capodicasa, Natale
AU - Miertus, Stanislav
AU - Lorusso, Lorenzo
AU - Dondossola, Daniele
AU - Tartaglia, Gianluca Martino
AU - Ergoren, Mahmut Cerkez
AU - Dundar, Munis
AU - Michelini, Sandro
AU - Malacarne, Daniele
AU - Bonetti, Gabriele
AU - Dautaj, Astrit
AU - Donato, Kevin
AU - Medori, Maria Chiara
AU - Beccari, Tommaso
AU - Samaja, Michele
AU - Connelly, Stephen Thaddeus
AU - Martin, Donald
AU - Morresi, Assunta
AU - Bacu, Ariola
AU - Herbst, Karen L.
AU - Kapustin, Mykhaylo
AU - Stuppia, Liborio
AU - Lumer, Ludovica
AU - Farronato, Giampietro
AU - Bertelli, Matteo
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
©2022 Pacini Editore SRL, Pisa, Italy.
PY - 2022/6/1
Y1 - 2022/6/1
N2 - Animal experimentation is widely used around the world for the identification of the root causes of various diseases in humans and animals and for exploring treatment options. Among the several animal species, rats, mice and purpose-bred birds comprise almost 90% of the animals that are used for research purpose. However, growing awareness of the sentience of animals and their experience of pain and suffering has led to strong opposition to animal research among many scientists and the general public. In addition, the usefulness of extrapolating animal data to humans has been questioned. This has led to Ethical Committees' adoption of the 'four Rs' principles (Reduction, Refinement, Replacement and Responsibility) as a guide when making decisions regarding animal experimentation. Some of the essential considerations for humane animal experimentation are presented in this review along with the requirement for investigator training. Due to the ethical issues surrounding the use of animals in experimentation, their use is declining in those research areas where alternative in vitro or in silico methods are available. However, so far it has not been possible to dispense with experimental animals completely and further research is needed to provide a road map to robust alternatives before their use can be fully discontinued.
AB - Animal experimentation is widely used around the world for the identification of the root causes of various diseases in humans and animals and for exploring treatment options. Among the several animal species, rats, mice and purpose-bred birds comprise almost 90% of the animals that are used for research purpose. However, growing awareness of the sentience of animals and their experience of pain and suffering has led to strong opposition to animal research among many scientists and the general public. In addition, the usefulness of extrapolating animal data to humans has been questioned. This has led to Ethical Committees' adoption of the 'four Rs' principles (Reduction, Refinement, Replacement and Responsibility) as a guide when making decisions regarding animal experimentation. Some of the essential considerations for humane animal experimentation are presented in this review along with the requirement for investigator training. Due to the ethical issues surrounding the use of animals in experimentation, their use is declining in those research areas where alternative in vitro or in silico methods are available. However, so far it has not been possible to dispense with experimental animals completely and further research is needed to provide a road map to robust alternatives before their use can be fully discontinued.
KW - 4Rs principle
KW - Animal experimentation
KW - Animal model
KW - Animal welfare
KW - Bioethics
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85143559381&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2022.63.2S3.2768
DO - 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2022.63.2S3.2768
M3 - Review article
C2 - 36479489
AN - SCOPUS:85143559381
SN - 1121-2233
VL - 63
SP - E255-E266
JO - Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene
JF - Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene
IS - 2
ER -