3R Training Switzerland


	Module 3R Implementation of the 3Rs	Author: Peter Maier

	The realisation of the 3R will take place in the laboratory	A A A

Draize test replacement

Sensitization in-vitro?

Implementation of the 3Rs

Reduce in practice

Refine in practice

Pyrogen test in vitro

Receptor modeling

3R-Bologna declaration

Continuing Education

From a legal text to a test strategy, a scientifically founded procedure. Concrete examples demonstrate this process.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Animal testing in Switzerland. What for?
In Switzerland the consumption of animals for testing has been reduced by 80% in the past 20 years bewteen 1972-2002. In 2001, however the consumption for the first time has grown by compared to the previous year.

Reduce, Refine, Replace
Three terms, many meanings!

The legal basis for "Reduce"
Avoid/"Reduce" is demanded by the Swiss legislation on animal protection.

The legal basis for "Refine"
"Improve /Refine" is mandatory by law and must be describied and justified in every application for animal testing.

The legal basis for "Replace"
Avoid/"Replace" is mandatory by Swiss law, if the research goal can be achieved without the use of animal testing.

Alternative = Replace?
The British understand the word "alternative" as an alternative in the sense of 3R methods. A German speaking person understands from the expression "alternative" a test arrangement without animals, which will lead to the same result.

Acute toxicity testing with rodents: More accurate is not always better!
Reduction of the number of animals (reduce) and stress on the animals (refine) within the testing can be achieved through a scientific analysis of an established test arrangement.

Reduce in practice
3R helps achieve better, more significant and therefore more relevant animal testing!

Refine in practice
Refine must be put into practice for all periods of the life of an animal, not only during testing.

Refine: only the ears and not the whole organism!
The sensitisation test on guinea pigs is replaced by the inspection of mouse ears: same significance, but less stress for the animals.

Replace: Secondary messengers from human cells in place of fever in rabbits.
Human whole blood replaces the pyrogen testing on rabbits. A step in the initiation of fever is measured in vitro instead of measuring the fever-reaction of a whole animal. Moreover, the in vitro test is more significant than the animal test.

In vitro tests have specific advantages
The correct use of in vitro methods in toxicity testing implies a working hypothesis, which in advance shows the damages to be expected and their mechanism.

Strategy: in vivo - in vitro
The use of in vitro experiments leads to correct answers, in particular in the recognition of differences between species.

3R Research Foundation Switzerland
The foundation supports the development of methods inspired by the 3R. The result should bring about improvements in one of the 3R, based on scientifically relevant arguments.

3R Research Foundation Switzerland

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