Regulations & Ethical Review

An international perspective on ethics approval in animal behaviour and welfare research

Ethics assessment is essential in studies that involve animals as subjects, which includes research on animal behaviour and welfare. Although ethics review mechanisms within institutions are long established in many regions, processes may be non-uniform across different cultures, institutions, and...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Olsson, I. A. S., Nielsen, B. L., Camerlink, I. 2022. An international perspective on ethics approval in animal behaviour and welfare research. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 253, 105658.

To stay virtual or not to stay virtual? That is the question

Both the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released guidance about how to conduct inspections during the pandemic; some of their suggestions may be of value to retain as hybrid approaches (virtual and...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Hankenson, F. C., Pritt, S. 2022. To stay virtual or not to stay virtual? That is the question. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 10(3) (May/June), 34-36.

Protecting Canada’s lab animals: The need for legislation

Canada's current non-legislated oversight system for animal-based science not only fails to adequately incentivize the replacement of sentient animals as best scientific practice in any meaningful way, but also fails to adequately protect those animals bred, harmed, and killed in...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Black, V., Fenton, A., Ormandy, E. H. 2022. Protecting Canada's lab animals: The need for legislation. Animals 12(6), 770.

Perceptions of laboratory animal facility managers regarding institutional transparency

Institutions that conduct animal research are often obliged to release some information under various legal or regulatory frameworks. However, within an institution, perspectives on sharing information with the broader public are not well documented. Inside animal facilities, managers exist at...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Brunt, M. W., Weary, D. M. 2021. Perceptions of laboratory animal facility managers regarding institutional transparency. PLOS ONE 16(7), e0254279.

Internal consistency and compatibility of the 3Rs and 3Vs principles for project evaluation of animal research

Using animals for research raises ethical concerns that are addressed in project evaluation by weighing expected harm to animals against expected benefit to society. A harm–benefit analysis (HBA) relies on two preconditions: (a) the study protocol is scientifically suitable and...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Eggel, M., Würbel, H. 2021. Internal consistency and compatibility of the 3Rs and 3Vs principles for project evaluation of animal research. Laboratory Animals 55(3), 233-243.

High-containment agriculture animal research: An AAALAC International perspective

Institutions that conduct high-containment agricultural research involving domestic livestock represent a specialized category of programs that are accredited by AAALAC International. The accreditation process includes a comprehensive assessment of the overall program of animal care and use. However, the complex...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: Cattle, Goat, Sheep

Citation: Harper, S. B., Bayne, K., Anderson, K. E. 2020. High-containment agriculture animal research: An AAALAC International perspective. ILAR Journal 61(1), 10-17.

Marmosets: Welfare, ethical use, and IACUC/regulatory considerations

Use of marmosets in biomedical research has increased dramatically in recent years due, in large part, to their suitability for transgenic applications and utility as models for neuroscience investigations. This increased use includes the establishment of new colonies and involvement...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Colman, R. J., Capuano, 3rd, S., Bakker, J. et al. 2021. Marmosets: Welfare, ethical use, and IACUC/regulatory considerations. ILAR Journal 61(2-3), 167-178.

Brexit: A boon or a curse for animals used in scientific procedures?

The UK has long been hailed as one of the world leaders in animal welfare. Within the UK, animals used in experiments are provided some protection under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). This Act was impacted by European...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Dunn, R. 2021. Brexit: A boon or a curse for animals used in scientific procedures? Animals 11(6), 1547.

Developing recommendations for cumulative endpoints and lifetime use for research animals

Research animals are important for scientific advancement, and therefore, their long-term welfare needs to be monitored to not only minimize suffering, but to provide positive affective states and experiences. Currently, there is limited guidance in countries around the world on...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Humane Endpoint, Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Nunamaker, E. A., Davis, S., O'Malley, C. I. et al. 2021. Developing recommendations for cumulative endpoints and lifetime use for research animals. Animals 11(7), 2031.

Breeding and maintenance of immunodeficient mouse lines under SPF conditions—A call for individualized severity analyses and approval procedures

In the EU, the breeding of genetically modified laboratory animals is, by definition, an animal experiment if the offspring may experience pain, suffering, or harm. In order to determine the actual burden of genetically modified mice, established methods are available....

Year Published: 2021Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Kammertoens, T., Jeuthe, S., Baranzke, H. et al. 2021. Breeding and maintenance of immunodeficient mouse lines under SPF conditions—A call for individualized severity analyses and approval procedures. Animals 11(6), 1789.