A new centre in the UK will boost the quest for alternatives to animal experiments.
Unveiled on Friday, the centre will not do research itself, but will act as a new focus for all research geared to the so-called three Rs 鈥� replacement, refinement and reduction. 鈥淭his will be the hub which will fund and coordinate research,鈥� said science minister, David Sainsbury, at the launch.
But some antivivisection groups dismiss the idea as little more than a sop. They are angry it will not focus solely on replacing animals.
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Even some researchers see no need for the centre. 鈥淚t鈥檚 selling out to the anti-science brigade by conceding that there is something intrinsically wrong with research on animals,鈥� says Steve Jones, professor of genetics at University College London.
Initially the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research will be based at the headquarters of the UK鈥檚 Medical Research Council, a decision criticised by antivivisectionists. 鈥淲e fiercely oppose such a plan because of the MRC鈥檚 pro-vivisection bias,鈥� says the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection.
The budget for the centre鈥檚 first year 拢660,000 is twice the amount currently spent on the 3Rs. But it is a tiny a fraction of the MRC鈥檚 annual research budget of 拢400 million.
However, Sainsbury said that if the centre receives a large number of quality proposals for research, its budget could increase rapidly.
Ultimate aim
Antivivisection groups are angry that the centre will not focus solely on replacement. They see the other two Rs 鈥� refinement of experiments to limit pain, and reduction of the number of animals used in experiments 鈥� as barriers to getting rid of animal experiments altogether.
鈥淩eplacement is the only R that makes sense,鈥� says Andrew Tyler, director of the lobby group Animal Aid.
Sainsbury defended the decision to fund research on reduction and refinement as well. 鈥淩eplacement is the ultimate aim for the centre, but for so long as the use of animals continues to be necessary, it is essential that every effort is made to minimise their use and improve welfare,鈥� he said.
Paul Flecknell, a vet who will be the centre鈥檚 vice chairman, said his own work at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne is helping to establish how much pain relief to give to rats following surgery. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what refinement is all about,鈥� he said.
Other examples include special transparent red houses developed at the MRC for mice. Because mice cannot see red, they see the houses as dark enough to nest in, but researchers can still see in and check on the animals without disturbing them.
Another refinement is the use of rewards to train animals to offer their arms for blood sampling, so they 鈥渃ollaborate鈥� in the research.
Sainsbury said that across all 3Rs, scientific and technological breakthroughs such as tissue engineering, testing on cells and computer modelling are providing new opportunities to reduce reliance on animals.
David Smith, a toxicologist at pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca attended the launch to provide an industry perspective. He said that 95 per cent of his company鈥檚 toxicology testing on new compounds is now done in vitro or on non-animal models.
