Using animals in research, testing and teaching.

The authors describe landmarks in animal-based research and examine key moral statements on the use of animals in scientific research. The principles of 'reduction, replacement and refinement' are suggested as a focus around which both the animal welfare and the scientific communities of the world can unite. This paper reviews the progress achieved in the replacement of animal use by non-animal methods, with a focus on regulatory testing. In addition, it presents evidence of a reduction in the numbers of animals used throughout the 1990s. The authors also emphasise the need for concerted efforts to contain a potential escalation in these figures, resulting from current inefficiencies in creating genetically modified animals and increasing demands for regulatory testing. Finally, the authors examine the refinement of techniques to mitigate and prevent pain and distress, with an emphasis on appropriate endpoints as an effective tool. They present the need for the international harmonisation of ethical standards and processes, together with a suggested harmonisation platform, and demonstrate the central role that should be played by the institutional Animal Care Committees.