Advancing Valid Alternatives
Can't testing be limited to techniques that don't use whole animals?
The Society
of Toxicology joins other researchers and organizations that seek to obtain
validated scientific information while minimizing the number of animals used
in research. One way is by using in vitro tests, laboratory tests using
cell or organ cultures rather than whole organisms. In other cases, organisms
such as worms or bacteria are used instead of mammals. Computer models can
also be developed to predict outcomes of testing. However, each of these methods
provides limited information that applies to a very specific test situation
and may not fully anticipate the results in a complicated organism (such as
humans) with many interacting organ systems. It also takes time to develop
methods and prove that they are suitable replacements for other accepted methods.
Fifteen U.S. agencies are working together as the Interagency
Coordinating Committee for Validation of Alternate Methods (ICCVAM) to
establish criteria for scientific validity and regulatory acceptance of new
tests. So far, two such tests, the murine
local lymph node assay  and the dermal
corrosivity test, have been recognized as alternatives to replace some
whole animal tests. Internationally, similar reviews of proposed methods are
in progress.
Will we need animals in the future?
Yes, animals will continue to be important agents in toxicology studies as
new chemicals, combinations and concerns are studied. At a minimum, whole
animal testing will still be needed to validate the results of methods that
do not use whole animals and as a last protective step before exposure of
humans and animals to potentially dangerous substances. However, the vast
majority of animals now used in studies are rats and mice.
The future promises many
exciting ways to predict and quantify human susceptibility to agents causing
specific molecular alterations. With the entire sequence of the human genome
now available for study, in the coming years specific human gene mutations
may be induced and quantified in cell culture, thus implying that these same
genes may be susceptible after, say, environmental exposures of a person to
a particular chemical. Using organisms into which human genes have been incorporated
(transgenic systems), exposure and consequent change in expression of these
specific genes may be analyzed. Information about the dose-response in the
whole animal may then be compared to actual incidence of genetic variation
in exposed human populations. Such methods will enable the scientist to use
hard experimental evidence to predict human diseases caused by genes mutated
by environmental exposures to chemicals and their metabolic products. These
methods will also enable better treatment of diseases by targeting medicines
for the best response with lowest toxicity based on the patient's genetic
makeup.
Toxicology
is part of the solution!
Toxicology helps sustain
the high-quality of life attributable directly to the appropriate use of chemicals.
Toxicologists will continue to play an important role in defining the conditions
of use that permit us to enjoy a high standard of living. For humane, ethical,
scientific and economic reasons research animals will be used only when necessary
and in the lowest numbers scientifically possible. However, the responsible
use of animals in research will continue to be required to protect human and
animal health and to safeguard the environment.
[Necessity of Animal Research]
[Reliability of Animal Data]
[Commitment
to ResponsibleTreatment] [Advancing Valid Alternatives]
[Position Statement]
[Guiding
Principles] [Further Information] [Selected
References]
[Public Policy Statement] [Download
Printable Brochure]
Scientifically-valid research designed to reduce, refine, or replace the need for laboratory animals is encouraged.
SOT
Animals in Research Public Policy Statement
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