Animal Research Ethics

Animal Research Ethics

           

            Animal research plays a vital role in many scientific and medical advances and continues to aid our understanding of various diseases. Throughout the world, people enjoy a better quality of life because of these advances, and the subsequent development of new medicines and treatments— all made possible by animal research. However, the use of animals in scientific and medical research has been a subject of heated debate for many years.

            The question of pain and distress in animals used for research, teaching and testing has concerned the general public and thoughtful researchers for a long time. Opponents to any kind of animal research believe that animal experimentation is cruel and unnecessary, regardless of its purpose or benefit. No responsible scientist wants to use animals or cause them unnecessary suffering if it can be avoided, and therefore scientists accept controls on the use of animals in research. More generally, the bioscience community accepts that animals should be used for research only within an ethical framework.

The 3Rs in Animal Research

The Three Rs stand for Reduction, Replacement and Refinement.

            In the book The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique, published in 1959, the authors Russell and Burch proposed that all research using animals should be evaluated to see if the Three Rs could be applied. They recognized that while the replacement of animals as research subjects was a desirable goal, considerable gains could be made in humane science through reducing the numbers of animals used and by refining the techniques that were applied to animals. Over the past 40 years the Three Rs have become widely accepted ethical principles to be embedded in the conduct of animal based science.

            The principal investigator must consider the question of whether animals are needed or not and if an animal must be used, then the investigator is required to consider the Three Rs in detail.

1.   Replacement often means the use of an inanimate system as an alternative (e.g., a computer model or program, a mannequin). It can also mean the replacement of sentient animals (usually vertebrates) with less sentient animals (usually invertebrates such as worms, bacteria, etc). It also includes the use of cell and tissue cultures. The cells must come from somewhere and often this means animals.

2.  Reduction means a decrease in the number of animals used previously with no loss of useful information. This may be achieved by reducing the number of variables through good experimental design, by using genetically homogeneous animals or by ensuring that the conditions of the experiment are rigorously controlled.

3.  Refinement means a change in some aspect of the experiment that results in a reduction or replacement of animals or in a reduction of any pain, stress or distress that animals may experience. The establishment of early endpoints for intervention in a study that has the potential to cause pain or distress is an example of refinement.

Committee for the purpose of control and supervision on experiments on animals (CPCSEA)

            The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act 1960 as amended in 1982, to prevent infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering on animals. The Central Government has constituted a Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) which is duty bound to take all such measures as may be necessary to ensure that animals are not subjected to unnecessary pain or suffering before, during or after the performance of experiments on them.

The main functions of CPCSEA are

• Registration of establishments conducting animal experimentation or breeding of animals for this purpose.
• Selection and appointment of nominees in the Institutional Animal Ethics Committees of registered establishments.
• Approval of Animal House Facilities on the basis of reports of inspections conducted by CPCSEA.
• Permission for conducting experiments involving use of animals.
• Recommendation for import of animals for use in experiments.
• Action against establishments in case of violation of any legal norm/stipulation.

All establishments engaged in research and education involving animals, are required to comply with the various guidelines, norms and stipulations set out by CPCSEA.

Salient features of the 1998 Breeding & Experimentation Rules notified by CPCSEA amended in 2001 & 2006

1. Registration of all establishments breeding or Using animals for research/experiment
2. IAEC (Institutional Animal Ethics Committee)s to be formed in each establishment breeding or using animals for research / experiments. Clearance of all experiments with smaller animals by IAEC.
3. Experiments involving larger animals to be evaluated by a sub-committee of CPCSEA(LASC) & CPCSEA after IAEC clearance 
4. Specified Formats for all records

 Composition of IAEC

1. Representative of the Department
2. Scientists with knowledge of animal experiments
3. Expert veterinarian
4. Member from community - Nominee of CPCSEA
5. In charge Animal facility

 IAECs Responsibilities

1. Review and approve research projects
2. Prevent unnecessary suffering to animals during experimentation
3. Proper accommodation /veterinary care
4. Humane disposal after termination of study
5. Midterm termination if unnecessary suffering
6. Adequately skilled personnel to do the experiments.

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Courtesy: http://moef.nic.in/modules/divisions/animal-welfare/

The ethics of animal research by Simon Festing & Robin Wilkinson, EMBO reports