Animal experiments: Figures, myths, alternatives

Even from a scientific point of view, using illegally captured animals doesn't make much sense. “In research, we try to keep the settings as standardised as possible. And of course, that includes the animals we use,” Schwedhelm explains. “That’s why laboratory animals usually come from special breeding programmes and have specific genetic traits, so that the individual studies can be compared.”

In general, there are strict rules in Germany and Europe to protect animals used for scientific purposes. These rules are designed to ensure that unnecessary animal suffering is avoided and that experiments are limited to those that are absolutely necessary. Animal testing for the development of cosmetics has been banned in Germany since 1998 and throughout the EU since 2003.

In addition, animal testing may only be conducted at facilities that have been inspected and approved by the competent state supervisory authorities. These facilities are usually universities, colleges or other scientific research institutes. In order to obtain this basic approval, the facilities must appoint animal welfare officers who ensure compliance with the regulations and requirements for animal welfare. The institutions must prove that they have sufficient staff to care for the animals and ensure the animals receive medical care. Only when this basic approval has been granted is it possible to submit proposals for specific animal experiments. “The proposal must then provide detailed scientific justification as to why this animal experiment is essential and why it is absolutely necessary to use an animal for this particular research question,” explains Schwedhelm. “The effort required to be allowed to carry out an animal experiment in the first place is considerable.”

This is one of the reasons why scientists around the world are looking for alternative methods to replace animal experiments wherever possible. These methods include working with cell cultures or tissue models and computer simulations. Particularly interesting are approaches in which, for example, small “mini-organs” or “organoids” are produced from stem cells in a Petri dish. “Such alternative methods are much faster than animal experiments – and they also allow scientists to better control the individual parameters,” says Schwedhelm.

The number of animal experiments in Germany has indeed been declining significantly for years. This is also reflected in the laboratory animal statistics compiled by Schwedhelm. “The increasing use of alternative methods has certainly played a part in this,” says Schwedhelm. There has been a particularly sharp decline in animal testing for regulatory purposes over the past ten years, i.e., in legally required safety tests for medicines, chemicals and other substances. However, the number of animal experiments has also declined in all other areas. “We expect that those numbers will continue to decrease.”

Nevertheless, Schwedhelm himself considers a complete abolition of animal experiments unlikely, even in the long term: “There are simply questions that will require the use of whole organisms in order to get to the bottom of them, even in the distant future.” 

Link to the full podcast episode:

https://podcast.bfr.bund.de/10-tierversuche-zahlen-mythen-alternativen-010

Quotes and original sound bites from the podcast episode may be used freely provided the source is cited.

About “Risiko – Der BfR-Podcast” (‘Risk – The BfR Podcast’):

Daily newspapers, news portals and social media posts constantly warn of new health hazards: plasticisers in suncreams, microplastics in the body or pollutants in food. What is actually behind these alleged dangers? How great is the risk for me personally? In our German-language podcast “Risiko”, we get to the bottom of such topics in a calm, scientifically sound and easy to understand way. “Risiko” episodes are released about once a month. In relaxed conversations with experts, we discuss real and perceived health risks posed by food, chemicals or consumer products.

About the Bf3R

The German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R) was founded in 2015 and is an integral part of the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). It coordinates nationwide activities with the aim of limiting animal experiments to the absolute minimum and ensuring laboratory animals with the best possible protection. In addition, it aims to stimulate research activities worldwide and promote scientific dialogue.

About the BfR

The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) is a scientifically independent institution within the portfolio of the German Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity (BMLEH). It protects people's health preventively in the fields of public health and veterinary public health. The BfR provides advice to the Federal Government as well as the Federal States (‘Laender’) on questions related to food, feed, chemical and product safety. The BfR conducts its own research on topics closely related to its assessment tasks.