Humane Endpoint

Contactless body temperature assessment for signalling humane endpoints in a mouse model of sepsis

Minimising suffering is an ethical and legal requirement in animal research. This is particularly relevant for research on animal models of sepsis and septic shock, which show rapid progression towards severe stages and death. Specific and reliable criteria signalling non-recovery...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Humane EndpointAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Miranda, C., Oliveira, L., Carmo, A. M. et al. 2025. Contactless body temperature assessment for signalling humane endpoints in a mouse model of sepsis. Animal Welfare 34, e13.

Phenotypical, behavioral, and systemic hallmarks in end-point mouse scenarios (2025)

The state of frailty is a clinical–biological syndrome that affects the older population with a higher risk of functional dependence. Animal models can provide a tool to study this complex scenario. In the present work, we analyzed the physical and...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Humane EndpointAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Castillo-Mariqueo, L., Alveal-Mellado, D., Giménez-Llort, L. 2025. Phenotypical, Behavioral, and Systemic Hallmarks in End-Point Mouse Scenarios. Animals 15(4), 521.

Burrowing behavior as robust parameter for early humane endpoint determination in murine models for pancreatic cancer (2025)

Due to late-stage diagnoses and limited treatment options, pancreatic cancer is predicted to be the second leading cause of cancer deaths by 2030. Many different murine models were developed over the past decades to test new therapies for this tumor...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Humane EndpointAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Brandstetter, J., Hoffmann, L., Koopmann, I. et al. 2025. Burrowing behavior as robust parameter for early humane endpoint determination in murine models for pancreatic cancer. Animals 15(9), 1241.

Humane endpoints in Swiss Webster mice infected with Toxoplasma gondii RH strain

The highly virulent Toxoplasma gondii RH strain is maintained through successive passages in mice, but there is still a lack of studies that refine these procedures from a 3Rs perspective, where humanitarian ideals aim to minimize the stress, pain, or...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Humane EndpointAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Arruda, I. F., Amendoeira, M. R. R., Bonifácio, T. F. et al. 2024. Humane endpoints in Swiss Webster mice infected with Toxoplasma gondii RH strain. Animals 14(9), 1326.

A novel scoring system for humane endpoints in mice with cecal ligation and puncture-induced sepsis

Animal-based research is essential to the study of sepsis pathophysiology, diagnostics, and therapeutics. However, animal models of sepsis are often associated with high mortality because of the difficulty in predicting imminent death based on premortem assessment of the animals. The...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Humane EndpointAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Ferguson, L. T., Rashied, A. A., Liang, Z. et al. 2023. A novel scoring system for humane endpoints in mice with cecal ligation and puncture-induced sepsis. Comparative Medicine 73(6), 446–460.

Comparing variability in measurement of subcutaneous tumors in mice using 3D thermal imaging and calipers

Repeatable tumor measurements are key to accurately assessing tumor growth and treatment efficacy. A preliminary study that we conducted showed that a novel 3D and thermal imaging system (3D-TI) for measuring subcutaneous tumors in rodents significantly reduced interoperator variability across...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Humane EndpointAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Brough, D. W., Murkin, J. T., Amos, H. E. et al. 2022. Comparing variability in measurement of subcutaneous tumors in mice using 3D thermal imaging and calipers. Comparative Medicine 72(6), 364–375.

Studying and analyzing humane endpoints in the fructose-fed and streptozotocin-injected rat model of diabetes

This work aimed to define a humane endpoint scoring system able to objectively identify signs of animal suffering in a rat model of type 2 diabetes. Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into control and induced group. The induced animals drink...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Humane Endpoint, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Silva-Reis, R., Faustino-Rocha, A. I., Silva, J. et al. 2023. Studying and analyzing humane endpoints in the fructose-fed and streptozotocin-injected rat model of diabetes. Animals 13(8), 1397.

A model framework for the estimation of animal “suffering”: Its use in predicting and retrospectively assessing the impact of experiments on animals

This paper presents and illustrates, with a working example, a hypothesis for the assessment of ongoing severity before and during an experiment that will enable humane endpoints and intervention points to be applied accurately and reproducibly, as well as helping...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Humane Endpoint, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Morton, D. B. 2023. A model framework for the estimation of animal “suffering”: Its use in predicting and retrospectively assessing the impact of experiments on animals. Animals 13(5), 800.

Humane Intervention Points: Refining endpoint terminology to incorporate non-euthanasia intervention options to improve animal welfare and preserve experimental outcomes

Consideration of The Three R's (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) is essential when setting Humane Endpoints; however, a common interpretation assumes that Humane Endpoints are timepoints to perform euthanasia. This interpretation is not always consistent with the three Rs. There are...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Humane EndpointAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Williams, W. O., Baneux, P. 2022. Humane Intervention Points: Refining endpoint terminology to incorporate non-euthanasia intervention options to improve animal welfare and preserve experimental outcomes. Laboratory Animals 56(5), 482-489.

Welfare assessment, end-point refinement and the effects of non-aversive handling in C57BL/6 mice with Lewis lung cancer

Cancer-bearing mice are at risk of developing anxiety, pain, or malaise. These conditions may not only harm welfare but could also undermine data quality and translational validity in studies to develop therapeutic interventions. We aimed to establish whether, or at...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Humane Endpoint, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Miller, A. L., Roughan, J. V. 2021. Welfare assessment, end-point refinement and the effects of non-aversive handling in C57BL/6 mice with Lewis lung cancer. Animals 12(1), 23.