In the UK, animal use is highly regulated (by the Animals in Scientific Procedures Act 1986 or ASPA) and is considered some of the strictest in the world. Three licenses are required, one for individuals doing the “procedure” (ensuring proper training in treatment and termination of the animals), one for each research project and one for the establishment where the procedures occur.
To receive a project license, it needs to be shown that the least sentient and smallest number of animals possible will be used, show as much pain and distress as possible will be avoided and that the use of them (instead of non-animal alternatives) is necessary.
The government's annual statistics of scientific produce stated that 2.68 million scientific procedures involving protected animals were performed in Great Britain, primarily for research on the nervous system, immune system, and cancer. Despite strict regulations, the pain inflicted by these procedures is unavoidable.
The general license permits the use of living vertebrates and other species such as reptiles and birds, whereas non-human primates, horses, cats and dogs are specially protected and require an additional license. Animals such as the fruit fly are not protected by UK law, however, at Newcastle University, an internal ethics committee must approve all animal testing, regardless of the species.
Newcastle University is committed to only using animals when no alternatives exist for important projects. The university states that most of its medical research relies on computer modelling, tissue cultures and other techniques and that it is dedicated to understanding animal behaviour and welfare to reduce harm, remaining transparent on its animal use in research (https://www.ncl.ac.uk/research/research-governance/animal/).
Bioscience and related students are educated on the law, the debate of ethics in animal research and current and future alternatives. Last year, Newcastle carried out 15,400 procedures on mice, 33 on birds and 8 on macaques (and other animals) which went towards research on heart and circulatory diseases, cancer, vaccines and stroke research to help the millions affected by those diseases and save countless lives.
All of this is to say that while difficult, animal research is currently essential, and stopping it now would leave millions to die. However, as science advances and the alternatives improve, they may one day replace animal experiments, and we should ensure Newcastle’s research practice keeps pace with these changes.
