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For more than a decade, much of the outcry over animal experiments has focused on toxicity testing-the blinding of bunnies, the poisoning of guinea pigs, and other methods of so-called "safety testing" that smudge the image of the cosmetics industry and other chemical manufacturers. The demand for cruelty-free products requires the use of non-animal alternative methods, which have sometimes been slow to develop and even slower to be implemented. With the recent passage of landmark legislation in California that mandates use of alternatives, the issue has gained important momentum with solid technological backing.
Now with strong science behind the sentiment, we take a look at how far the humane movement has come and what's left to be done in this field.
The use of animals as surrogates for humans during scientific experimentation has been common for thousands of years. And for virtually this entire time it has been criticized for the same two reasons it is still criticized today: because nonhuman animals may not respond the same as the human body to laboratory experimentation, and if the experiment causes pain and suffering to the animals, then the practice is inhumane. However, it is only in our lifetime that these two criticisms were unified into a single thesis with a proposal for a way forward. A relatively obscure (at the time) book by W M. S. Russell and R. L. Burch, The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique, tried to show that the most humane experimental methods are generally the most scientifically rewarding as well. Here for the first time was a synthesis of the ethical view and the scientific view, which led to the guiding principles known as tie three Rs: the replacement, reduction, and refinement of animal use.
The result of applying these three considerations has led the scientific community to what are called alternative methods. These alternatives can range from the use of a less' painful procedure (refinement), to using modern statistical analysis so that fewer animals are used per experiment (reduction), to eliminating an animal test altogether by using cells or tissues in culture (replacement). In this article, we will concentrate mostly on replacement methods-their development, use, and eventual acceptance by regulatory agencies.
Over the last 20 years there has been growing concern,...