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:

¿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:

1. The improvement of a procedure that uses animals is an alternative procedure to that used previously.
2. Prediction studies computer systems are alternatives to animal experimentation, but not in vitro experimental procedures.
3. 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

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