Alternatives to Animal Experimentation: Its Institutional Teaching and Scientific

Abstract

Although it is desirable to replace scientific procedures with live animals by other methods that do not use them, the use of animals in scientific procedures should be restricted to those areas that benefit human, animal, and environmental health. The use of animals as experimental models of observation of biological phenomena has evolved with man, to this day. The use of animals for scientific or educational purposes should be considered only when there is no other alternative and it is governed by the principles of replacement, reduction, and refinement. The scientists should be sure that the information obtainable with the experiments is not yet available or that the protocol was designed taking into account animal protection considerations. The chosen methods must use the least number of animals; provide satisfactory results; use the species with the least ability to experience pain, suffering, anguish, and damage; and be optimal for the extrapolation of results to the target species such as humans. It will be fundamental to guarantee on a scientific and ethical basis that the use of an animal is subject to a careful evaluation regarding the scientific or educational validity.