Replacing Animals As Test Systems Prepared By: Toxicology and Environmental Health Information Program Specialized Information Services National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health Bethesda, MD USA

The Scientific Community, concerned about animal welfare, is sensitive to concerns regarding how and why animals are used in biomedical research and testing to evaluate the toxicological potential of various substances. Although alternatives to methods based on the use of animals may not satisfy all requirements and needs of the biomedical research and toxicologic testing communities, alternatives to the use of vertebrates are being developed and evaluated. Research on such methodologies is aimed at refining procedures to reduce pain and discomfort; reduce the number of animals required to provide scientifically valuable results; and to replace live vertebrates when an alternative methodology can be verified and validated by the scientific community.