NIH can't deny chimps sanctuary retirement.

Agency violated federal law when it prevented former lab primates from entering Chimp Haven, federal judge rules.

Preclinical screening for antidepressant activity - shifting focus away from the Forced Swim Test to the use of translational biomarkers.

Depression is the world's predominant mental health problem and a leading cause of disability. Neuropharmacological research has not yet advanced treatments to sufficiently meet clinical need, largely due to the failure of animal models to predict clinical efficacy. The forced swim test (FST) has been extensively used in the field of antidepressant research but has been under scrutiny due to its perceived severity to animals. Any use of animals in experiments and testing must have a scientific or regulatory purpose and researchers need to ensure that there is no scientifically valid alternative. However, regulatory requirements have been incorrectly cited as a reason to support the use of the FST. More research is required on tests that do not involve stressing animals as replacements for the FST. Non-behavioural neurochemical measures might provide a means to advance neuropharmacological developments while reducing animal suffering. For example, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) may be promising.

Ethical publication of research on genetics and genomics of biological material: guidelines and recommendations.

Forensic Science International: Genetics and Forensic Science International: Reports communicate research on a variety of biological materials using genetics and genomic methods. Numerous guidelines have been produced to secure standardization and quality of results of scientific investigations. Yet, no specific guidelines have been produced for the ethical acquisition of such data. These guidelines summarize universally adopted principles for conducting ethical research on biological materials, and provide details of the general procedures for conducting ethical research on materials of human, animal, plant and environmental origin. Finally, the minimal ethics requirements for submission of research material are presented.

A Belmont Report for Animals?

Human and animal research both operate within established standards. In the United States, criticism of the human research environment and recorded abuses of human research subjects served as the impetus for the establishment of the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research, and the resulting Belmont Report. The Belmont Report established key ethical principles to which human research should adhere: respect for autonomy, obligations to beneficence and justice, and special protections for vulnerable individuals and populations. While current guidelines appropriately aim to protect the individual interests of human participants in research, no similar, comprehensive, and principled effort has addressed the use of (nonhuman) animals in research. Although published policies regarding animal research provide relevant regulatory guidance, the lack of a fundamental effort to explore the ethical issues and principles that should guide decisions about the potential use of animals in research has led to unclear and disparate policies. Here, we explore how the ethical principles outlined in the Belmont Report could be applied consistently to animals. We describe how concepts such as respect for autonomy and obligations to beneficence and justice could be applied to animals, as well as how animals are entitled to special protections as a result of their vulnerability.

Refining animal research: The Animal Study Registry.

The Animal Study Registry (ASR; www.animalstudyregistry.org) was launched in January 2019 for preregistration of animal studies in order to increase transparency and reproducibility of bioscience research and to promote animal welfare. The registry is free of charge and is designed for exploratory and confirmatory studies within applied science as well as basic and preclinical research. The registration form helps scientists plan their study thoroughly by asking detailed questions concerning study design, methods, and statistics. With registration, the study automatically receives a digital object identifier (DOI) that marks it as intellectual property of the researcher. To accommodate the researchers concerns about theft of ideas, users can restrict the visibility of their registered studies for up to 5 years. The full content of the study becomes publicly accessible at the end of the embargo period. Because the platform is embedded in the infrastructure of the German Federal Government, continuity and data security are provided. By registering a study in the ASR, researchers can show their commitment to transparency and data quality to reviewers and editors, to third-party donors, and to the general public.

Disaster Planning and Research Continuity in Responsible Animal Research.

Disaster preparedness for research facilities can be a daunting task. The purpose of this review is to introduce basic preparedness concepts and terminology so that facilities may begin to develop customized plans for their specific needs. Regulatory requirements are reviewed and an overview of the Incident Command System, National Preparedness System Planning Frameworks, and fundamental terms is provided. Important concepts for successful planning are then explored. Good planning involves fostering a culture of preparedness, resilience, and understanding the interactions and partnerships with other groups that are essential for core functions and incident response. Methods to gain institutional support and set up an advisory committee are examined in detail. Next, the steps to develop and carry out a plan are outlined. Risk assessments using an all hazards approach and tools such as risk indices and risk matrices are explained, and tips to design and test plans, train personnel, and evaluate improvement are discussed. Finally, special challenges unique to animal research facilities are considered along with ways to address them. Examples and information are drawn from a wide variety of organizations both to underscore themes common to all preparedness plans and to introduce new concepts that may be adapted for use in research institutions.

Laboratory Guidelines for Animal Care.

Animal research is a controversial subject because of the ethical and moral implications of using unwilling research subjects in potentially painful or distressful procedures usually ending in euthanasia. As such, it must be conducted in a compassionate and responsible manner geared toward maximizing the animals' quality of life prior to and during experimentation. Because of its contentious nature, the conduct of animal research is highly regulated at the federal, state, city, and institutional levels. It is essential that researchers acquire a thorough knowledge of the procedures to be conducted as well as a working knowledge of the regulations. This will maximize humane care of research animals and prevent potentially negative or detrimental interactions with groups opposed to using animals in biomedical research. Perhaps the best way to attain these goals is to avoid inadvertent instances of noncompliance with their research protocol or applicable regulations. Regulatory noncompliance can also have serious negative consequences on investigators' research careers ranging from temporary suspension of their protocols to loss of funding and revocation of principal investigator status and associated privileges. To minimize such adverse outcomes, it is advised that researchers build positive and collaborative relationships with key institutional players such as the veterinary staff, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), and top administrators. Guidance is provided regarding the appropriate handling of regulatory noncompliance.

Legal aspects of zebrafish neuropharmacology and neurotoxicology research.

Despite the growing emphasis on translational neuropharmacology and drug discovery research, the legality underlying these fields are seldom considered. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is an increasingly utilized model organism in neuropharmacology and neurotoxicology. As the acceptance of zebrafish in biomedicine continues to grow, the legal aspects of their applications remain outpaced by this exponential growth. Therefore, there is a need to evaluate the legal aspects of zebrafish applications to CNS drug research. Here, we discuss a wide range of regulatory topics relevant to zebrafish research, such as the bioethics of experimentation (including studies of stress and pain), welfare protection laws, the recent advances in CNS drug discovery, and specific legal aspects of controlled substance research in this aquatic species. The conceptualization and understanding of the zebrafish welfare and its promise as a model in toxicology can also potentially shape environmental protection practices and inform policy making.

Animal Models in Forensic Science Research: Justified Use or Ethical Exploitation?

A moral dilemma exists in biomedical research relating to the use of animal or human tissue when conducting scientific research. In human ethics, researchers need to justify why the use of humans is necessary should suitable models exist. Conversely, in animal ethics, a researcher must justify why research cannot be carried out on suitable alternatives. In the case of medical procedures or therapeutics testing, the use of animal models is often justified. However, in forensic research, the justification may be less evident, particularly when research involves the infliction of trauma on living animals. To determine how the forensic science community is dealing with this dilemma, a review of literature within major forensic science journals was conducted. The frequency and trends of the use of animals in forensic science research was investigated for the period 1 January 2012-31 December 2016. The review revealed 204 original articles utilizing 5050 animals in various forms as analogues for human tissue. The most common specimens utilized were various species of rats (35.3%), pigs (29.3%), mice (17.7%), and rabbits (8.2%) although different specimens were favored in different study themes. The majority of studies (58%) were conducted on post-mortem specimens. It is, however, evident that more needs to be done to uphold the basic ethical principles of reduction, refinement and replacement in the use of animals for research purposes.

Nordic symposium on "toxicology and pharmacology without animal experiments-Will it be possible in the next 10 years?"

Toxicological and pharmacological information from human cells and tissues provides knowledge readily applicable to human safety assessment and to the efficacy assessment of pharmaceuticals. The 3R principle in animal studies includes the use of human material in the R of Replacement. The Reduction and Refinement Rs are related to animal use. Knowledge of the 3Rs and successful 3R methods are a prerequisite for the Reduction of animal experiments in the future. More collaboration among researchers using experimental animals and those working in vitro is necessary with mutual respect. The OECD Guidelines for the Testing of Chemicals have included the animal-free part of the 3Rs in guidances for the development and reporting of Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs), which is to be part of the Integrated Approaches to Testing and Assessment (IATA). The 3R centres established to help fulfil the Directive 2010/63/EU play an important role to promote the 3Rs and in the development of animal-free toxicology. Research centres in each Nordic country are founded upon solid research activities in cell and organ toxicity, including major EU programmes to promote 3Rs and implementation of good practices and methods broadly in all stakeholders of industry, regulators and academia. In the light of this, the Nordic Symposium on Toxicology and Pharmacology without Animal Experiments addressed more adopted/modified test guidelines or new test guidelines for new end-points, or hazard challenges, new in vitro 3D models, speeding up transfer of knowledge from research to regulation to understand AOP and towards IATA.

To Regulate or Not to Regulate? The Future of Animal Ethics in Experimental Research with Insects.

Regulatory ethical frameworks governing animal experimentation are a hallmark of modern biology. While most countries have ethical standards regarding the use of animals for scientific purposes, experiments involving insects are not included in these standards. With studies in recent years suggesting that insects may possess faculties akin to emotive states, there is growing discussion surrounding the ethical implications of scientific experimentation involving insects. This paper explores some of the current evidence for the ability of insects to experience emotive states and highlights how current formal animal experimentation ethics frameworks are unnecessary for governing the use of insects for scientific purposes. At its conclusion, this paper discusses ways in which scientists can, and should, uniformly maximise the welfare of insects used in their experiments in a way that is of benefit to their science as well as to the dignity and welfare of their study organisms.

Animal models in biological and biomedical research - experimental and ethical concerns.

Animal models have been used in experimental research to increase human knowledge and contribute to finding solutions to biological and biomedical questions. However, increased concern for the welfare of the animals used, and a growing awareness of the concept of animal rights, has brought a greater focus on the related ethical issues. In this review, we intend to give examples on how animals are used in the health research related to some major health problems in Brazil, as well as to stimulate discussion about the application of ethics in the use of animals in research and education, highlighting the role of National Council for the Control of Animal Experimentation (Conselho Nacional de Controle de Experimentação Animal - CONCEA) in these areas. In 2008, Brazil emerged into a new era of animal research regulation, with the promulgation of Law 11794, previously known as the Arouca Law, resulting in an increased focus, and rapid learning experience, on questions related to all aspects of animal experimentation. The law reinforces the idea that animal experiments must be based on ethical considerations and integrity-based assumptions, and provides a regulatory framework to achieve this. This review describes the health research involving animals and the current Brazilian framework for regulating laboratory animal science, and hopes to help to improve the awareness of the scientific community of these ethical and legal rules.