New Endorsements
Cruelty Free Info.
About Naturewatch Donate
Resources
Contact Us
Animal Experiments
The Times Cheltenham Science Festival: NC3Rs and New Scientist showcase pioneering research - 'Beyond Animal Research'
June 2009 - Over 70 people came to the event in Cheltenham Town Hall, to hear of the innovations in scientific research that could replace animals in a generation.
Tissue engineering using living tissue to form artificial human airways and computer models that construct virtual human beings, might sound like the stuff of science fiction, yet this is just some of the pioneering work being done in the UK to find new hi-tech methods to replace the use of animals in research.
The event sponsored by the National Centre for Replacement, Reduction and Refinement NC3Rs, focused on the present and future of scientific research using non-animal alternatives. Speakers included award winning cell biologist Kelly BéruBé, who explained how by using recent innovations in the fields of nanotechnology and tissue engineering she has been able to develop a 3D model of lung tissue. This can now be used instead of animals to test the toxicity of inhaled particles such as pollutants and pharmaceuticals.
“These models have the ability to be far more accurate. I sometimes think it is just tradition — that feeling that if it’s safe in an animal it’s safe in a human — which means so many animal tests are still carried out.
By recreating tissue environments, we will improve understanding of many aspects of cell behaviour including wound healing and responses to therapeutic drugs without the use of animal models.”
While Stephen Manos, a computational scientist at University College London outlined the 'virtual physiological human' project, showing how computer modelling can be used to simulate how the body works, responds to drugs or surgery. He explained the enormous potential benefits, in terms of reducing animal use, and being able to offer treatments tailored specifically to individual patients, so avoiding potential side effects. In order to develop this technology further, the European Union has given Euro 72 million of funding as part of the preDICT project.
Finally, Biologist and award winning writer Paul McAuley, presented a vision of the future of drug development. One in which therapies, would be highly tailored to an individual human genome, a 'magic bullet'. In 50 years time we will view the current approach to drug development as akin to 'carpet bombing', as crude an approach to medicine as the cocaine laden teething remedies of yester year.
The event clearly demonstrated the vision of non-animal alternatives can and is becoming a reality, the possibilities of what can be achieved is truly inspirational. There is real hope that given sufficient funding and support, humane scientific research is the way forward.
