The future of animals in research and training. The search for alternatives

Animal welfare and antivivisection groups have protested against animal research for the last 150 years. However, they have recently (ca. 20 years ago) injected a new element into the debate by pressing for the development and application of alternatives. By this, they mean the development of techniques which could replace or reduce the use of laboratory animals, or the refinement of existing techniques to reduce animal suffering. Animal welfare concerns have focused on toxicology testing in particular. Of course, the state of the art in toxicology had advanced considerably in the last 20 years and some of the changes have resulted in a reduction of the use of animals. Nevertheless, the animal welfare movement seeks a more specific program which will review testing guidelines and support the development of new techniques which will reduce or eliminate animal use. Carcinogen detection, Draize eye irritancy testing, and LD50 testing are three specific areas where the pressure for alternatives development has been strongest. The prospects for alternatives in each of these three areas are briefly discussed together with one or two comments about possible future trends.