The ethics of research involving animals - Nuffield Council on ...
The ethics of research involving animals - Nuffield Council on ...
The ethics of research involving animals - Nuffield Council on ...
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T h e e t h i c s o f r e s e a r c h i n v o l v i n g a n i m a l s<br />
Incentives<br />
11.27 Biomedical <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>ers are usually under pressure to achieve results and solve problems<br />
quickly. A number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> factors are likely to influence this pressure: these include a genuine<br />
urgency to understand and alleviate human or animal suffering and a competitive<br />
envir<strong>on</strong>ment that frequently makes <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> grants dependent <strong>on</strong> publicati<strong>on</strong> activity. In<br />
either case, <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>ers may be reluctant to spend time <strong>on</strong> developing n<strong>on</strong>-animal alternative<br />
methods when it appears that an available animal method will give publishable results. In<br />
additi<strong>on</strong>, the development <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> alternative methods may be perceived as having a lesser status<br />
than <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>. We c<strong>on</strong>sider ways <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> improving the recogniti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the development <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
Replacements from within the academic <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> community in paragraph 15.61.<br />
Availability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> informati<strong>on</strong><br />
11.28 Fundamental to identifying alternative approaches is the availability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> adequate<br />
informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> past and current <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> in specific fields (see paragraph 11.34). Accessing<br />
informati<strong>on</strong> about suitable Replacements or alternative approaches to particular scientific<br />
questi<strong>on</strong>s can be difficult as such informati<strong>on</strong> is not always published. Even if it is<br />
published, the informati<strong>on</strong> is not usually indexed so as to highlight any <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the Three Rs (see<br />
paragraph 15.58).<br />
Integrati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> in vitro and in vivo <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
11.29 In vitro toxicology, as distinct from in vivo toxicology, has become a science in its own right<br />
and there may be a risk that the primary goal <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> replacing <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> can be overlooked.<br />
Some commentators are c<strong>on</strong>cerned that there is insufficient communicati<strong>on</strong> between<br />
scientists working in vivo and in vitro. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>y fear that in vitro toxicologists are becoming<br />
overly focused <strong>on</strong> methodological issues and the development and applicati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> new<br />
techniques, gradually losing c<strong>on</strong>tact with the mainstream in vivo <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> in their original<br />
field. Such a shift could mean that valuable informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> alternative techniques is not<br />
available to those who could apply them, because it is not published in journals relevant<br />
to their <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> interests or presented at the meetings that they attend. Others counter<br />
that it is problematic to make generalising statements in this area, asserting that, for<br />
example, in the pharmaceutical industry, there is a high degree <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> coordinati<strong>on</strong> and<br />
exchange <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> informati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
Traditi<strong>on</strong> and c<strong>on</strong>servatism<br />
11.30 Most scientists whose work involves <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> are comfortable with the c<strong>on</strong>cept <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Reducti<strong>on</strong> and<br />
Refinement, although members <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the Working Party also reported from pers<strong>on</strong>al experience<br />
that knowledge about the potential for Refinement varied. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>y had sometimes experienced<br />
hesitancy from other scientists in entering into serious discussi<strong>on</strong> about the potential for<br />
replacing <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> in their own field <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>. If <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>ers have always used <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> and are<br />
working in a field that has historically relied substantially <strong>on</strong> animal <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>, a change in<br />
methodology may not be straightforward, as it is comm<strong>on</strong> for scientists to frame <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
objectives in light <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the means available. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> creati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> opportunities for appropriate lateral<br />
thinking is likely to require more than ‘better training’, and it may be useful to explore ways <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
achieving structural and instituti<strong>on</strong>al change which allow <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>ers to rec<strong>on</strong>sider ways in which<br />
specific <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> questi<strong>on</strong>s can be answered by n<strong>on</strong>-animal methods (see paragraph 15.60). This<br />
approach could be especially relevant to <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> fields such as experimental physiology and<br />
experimental biology, which have always depended very substantially <strong>on</strong> the use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> whole, living<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> and where the <strong>on</strong>ly alternative may be not to do the experiment. Questi<strong>on</strong>ing the<br />
justificati<strong>on</strong> for an entire <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> programme is, understandably, not something that comes<br />
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