[Alternative methods to animal experimentation. Scientific and ethical problems].
The alternative methods include all the technologies able to replace animal experimentation. This denomination has been much debated and several researchers prefer the term of complementary methods. Alternative methods consist mainly of methods based on organ and cell culture but also includes cell organelles. These methods have been introduced gradually over the years particularly in toxicology but also in biology, physiology, pathology and pharmacology. The reasons for this development are from technological and ethical sources. This last point was due to the consciousness of industrial countries on the animal suffering which is at the origin of groups for animal welfare, able to influence european governments. The results of the development of the alternative methods are an increase in fundamental and applied research under the influence of various organisations such as in England: FRAME (Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experimentals), in USA: John Hopkins Center and in ECC: ECVAM (European Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods). This last Center is particularly devoted to validation which are defined as "the process whereby the reliability and relevance of a procedure are established for a particular purpose". This involves several stages. Some validations procedures are now in progress mainly in the aim of evaluating potential alternative methods to the Draize eye irritation test. Alternative methods are able to decrease the use of animal experiments and consequently improve animal ethics although they could not replace totally animal experiments. However they are complementary and very useful for the screening of drugs and mechanistic areas.
Institut Biomédical des Cordeliers, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Paris.
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D000826:Animal Testing Alternatives; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004989:Ethics; D005062:European Union; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques
Les méthodes dites alternatives à l'expérimentation animale. Problèmes scientifiques et éthiques.