It’s an age-old question: What do we use if we stop using animals as test subjects? And there is a simple answer. Thanks to advancements in modern technology, there are now safe and reliable methods of testing products that save animal lives while assuring the safety and well-being of the public.
Proponents of non-animal testing methods in the scientific community have shown that these methods are often more reliable, quicker and cost-effective. Examples of these nonanimal methods range from computer and mathematical models to the use of human volunteers. In vitro tests include ones that use cell or tissue cultures, such as artificial test skin derived from human foreskin. Chemical tests include the Neutral Red Bioassay that uses a neutral red, water-soluble dye that is added to normal skin cells in a tissue culture plate, and a computer
measurement of the level of uptake of the dye by the cells is used to indicate the relative toxicity.
In addition to efforts by industry to develop and implement non-animal methods, other academic and private funding sources have been established to advance efforts to eliminate animal testing. The U.S. Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM) was launched in 2000 with the passage of legislation passed unanimously by both Non-animal testing methods produce more accurate and useful results. houses of Congress. NAVS founded the International Foundation for Ethical Research (IFER) in 1985 to develop, validate and implement scientifically valid alternatives by providing grants to advance these objectives.
The validation and regulatory acceptance of non-animal alternative tests is critical to the adoption of more humane scientific methodologies. However, that process can be a long and arduous one. After a test is developed, it must go through a rigorous validation process before results from the test are regarded as reliable for general use. This validation process involves review and hearings by members of ICCVAM.
Unfortunately, despite broad support for the investment in the development and validation of alternatives, only a handful of methods have been officially
|
Many companies avoid animal testing by referring to the U.S. “Generally Regarded As Safe” (GRAS), a list of thousands of ingredients already known to be safe. They also rely on data regarding historic use and chemical structure of a product or ingredient. |
validated.
There are many websites and bibliographic databases that detail the alternatives available, depending on the research topic. For more information, see Science of the Future.
