Alternatives to Laboratory Animals: Trends in Replacement and the Three Rs

Abstract

The significance of contributions in volumes 11–46 (1983 to 2018) of Alternatives to Laboratory Animals in relation to the reduction, refinement and replacement of animal experimentation in biomedical research and testing is reviewed and discussed by the journal’s former editor-in-chief, with particular emphasis on the development and production of the journal itself, FRAME, the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods and other organisations. The role of the journal in promoting the principles of humane research (as spelled out by William Russell and Rex Burch) and highlighting a range of important issues and focus topics is explored. These include: botulinum toxin potency testing; ethical issues; the use of human volunteers, and human cells and tissues; the use of non-human primates (especially chimpanzees) and dogs as laboratory animals; toxicity testing in relation to cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and chemicals; UK and EU politics and legislation; and test validation and invalidation. The review concludes by identifying some of the issues that still need to be discussed and some of the questions that urgently need to be addressed.