The UK government has outlined its strategy to fulfill a manifesto commitment towards phasing out animal testing. The plan includes the replacement of animal testing for certain major safety tests by the end of 2024 and a target to reduce the use of dogs and non-human primates in human medicine tests by at least 35% by 2030. The Labour Party has also stated its intent to collaborate with scientists, industry, and civil society to progress this objective.
Science Minister Lord Vallance indicated the potential for a future with minimal animal use in science, while acknowledging the timeline involved.
Context of Animal Experimentation
Animal experiments in the UK reached a peak of 4.14 million in 2015, largely due to an increase in genetic modification experiments, primarily involving mice and fish. By 2020, this figure had decreased to 2.88 million as alternative methods were developed. However, this decline has since stabilized. Lord Vallance stated his intention to re-accelerate the downward trend by promoting replacements such as experiments on animal tissues derived from stem cells, artificial intelligence (AI), and computer simulations. He noted the possibility of achieving a "near zero" reliance on animal tests, though not in the immediate future.
Scientific Challenges and Alternative Approaches
The feasibility of reaching "near zero" animal tests is a subject of scientific debate. Professor Frances Balkwill of Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, expressed skepticism regarding the complete elimination of animal testing, particularly for safety reasons. She stated that non-animal methods may not fully replicate the complexity of studying a tumor within a complete organism, such as a mouse.
One area of alternative research is the development of "organ-on-a-chip" technology. The Centre for Predictive in vitro Models (CPM) at Queen Mary University of London is a key center for this research. This technology involves small glass structures containing human cells from various organs, connected to electrodes that transmit data to a computer. Professor Hazel Screen, CPM's co-director, highlighted that cells from different body parts can be linked to simulate how organs interact, theoretically allowing for the testing of new drugs using human cells to potentially achieve higher quality scientific results.