Concept Alternatives
Alternative: Basics
Animal experimentation and alternatives
The methods used in research, in the trial (safety assessment / toxicity) and teaching are in continuous progress and that scientists are constantly looking for alternatives to improve the quality of their work. This is due, in part, the logical evolution of scientific knowledge and its technological applications, and partly, ethical considerations, logistics, economic, socio-political and legal.
¿What are alternative methods?
The three basic principles according to Russell and Burch (1959) identify the broad concept of alternative methods, also known by the initials, las "tres erres", its: Replacement of animal procedures used by others who do not require, Reduction in the number of animals used and the refinement of the methods used to improve efficiency or reduce pain or suffering inflicted.
¿What alternatives exist in practice?
The wide range of alternative procedures may include improvements in storage, use and exchange of information in order to avoid unnecessary duplication of testing; improvements in the design of experiments to increase validity and reduce the suffering and the number of animals used; the use of mathematical models that relate chemical structure and pharmacological activity and toxic chemicals (QSAR); audiovisual systems, mechanical models or computer simulations, particularly important in teaching; human studies, which include the epidemiological, toxicovigilancia after the introduction of products in the market and the use of volunteers; and in vitro techniques, that avoid the use of higher animals intact and include the use of lower organisms, as bacteria, algae and fungi; subcellular fractions or non-biological material; tissue slices, perfused organs, and cell cultures.
Possible alternatives include:
- Avoid unnecessary repetition of experiments in vivo and in vitro:
Protocols and studies
Availability of information, exchange. Flexibility. Integrated strategies. - Mathematical Models of Prediction:
Kinetics of chemical environmental
Pharmaco-toxicokinetics (PB-PK)
Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) - Improvements in the design of animal studies:
Reduction: number of animals used
Refinement: minimizing pain and distress;
new models - Use of lower organisms not protected:
Bacteria, mushrooms, protozoa, algae, plants, invertebrates - Early vertebrate development:
Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals - In vitro methods:
Organs: toilets, perfusion, cultivation, cuts, reconstituted organs
Explants, re-aggregated cell, micromasas, cocultures
Primary culture of dispersed cells
Cell lines / transgenesis
Cell-free systems - Others:
Studies in humans: Volunteers, Epidemiological, surveillance
Models in teaching and training: Mechanical models, audiovisual systems, and computer simulations and virtual reality
¿What are the methods in vitro?
In vitro methods are procedures that are developed in a container outside the animal body. Although initially used were glass containers, increasing frequency of plastic are used. Sometimes material is used directly from animal or human, and sometimes used cells that have adapted to grow indefinitely in vitro.
Although colloquially often identify alternative methods of in vitro techniques, are not synonymous. For example:
- The improvement of a procedure that uses animals is an alternative procedure to that used previously.
- Prediction studies computer systems are alternatives to animal experimentation, but not in vitro experimental procedures.
- There are various methods in vitro can not be considered as alternatives are procedures of choice. It would be much more difficult to obtain the same information from animal studies.
Bibliography
- Russell WMS, Burch RL (1959) The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique. Methuen, London.
- Repetto G, Repetto M (1995) Alternative: in vitro toxicology studies. Chapter 2. In: Repetto M (and) Advanced ToxicologyRepetto MDiaz, Madrid, pp 37-59.
- De la Peña, E.; Scythe, A.; Baroque pearl, C.; Repetto, G.; Gonzalez, F., and García, P. 1995. ICLAS/CSIC Working Group on Complementary Methods. Edit. ICLAS Spanish Committee / CSIC / CICyT, Madrid, Spain, 101 pp
- Repetto G (1995) Recent advances in the validation and acceptance of alternative methods. Journal of Toxicology 12: 3-9.
To find out more
In other sections of the page GTEMA is much information available on alternatives. In section Documents includes information generated by the group and in sections of Alternatives and Links accessing information from other internet servers.
For students particularly recommend the sections on alternatives in education and on-line Simulation, addition to the databases that provide a variety of alternative techniques, and Inventory, showing the Spanish reality from many points of view.
In this section:
- Alternative Methods - GTEMA
- Concept Alternatives
- [3R] Alternatives to Animal Testing
- Documents
- Web Alternatives
- Links
- Inventory
- English Version
The Latest Ads
- ESTIV2012.
- 17th European Congress on Alternatives to Animal Testing & 14th Annual Meeting of EUSAAT.
- WHO Public Health and Environment e-News: April 2012.
- Animal testing for cosmetics, A thing of the past?.
- InterNICHE and COLAMA 2012.
- WHO Public Health and Environment e-News: March 2012.
- Update of REACH and hazard assessment of substances and mixtures on human health and the environment.
- 3Rs Science Award 2012.
- CAAT Grants: Call for Proposals (2013-2014).
- 12 European countries exceeded emission limits on air pollutants 2010.


