Animal experiments

All medicines we have today — both for people and for animals —have been developed with the help of animal testing. The same applies to medical treatments such as radiation and surgical techniques. The development of new medicines or the improvement of existing treatments is still dependent on animal testing. Scientists are even legally required to first test new treatments in at least two different test animal species before they can start a human study.

Animal research at UM

Research using animal testing is carried out at UM by the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML) and the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN). The Central Animal Testing Facilities (CPV) provides the facilities necessary to carry out this research.

At UM, scientific research is only conducted on mice, rats, rabbits, pigs, cattle, goats, sheep, zebrafish and sometimes guinea pigs and hamsters. On average, 95% of the animals are mice and rats. The number of animals used for testing is available in the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority’s (NVWA) annual publication in Zo Doende (in Dutch).

UM scientists are also working on alternatives to animal testing. Because it is expected to take several decades before alternatives are fully viable, UM is investing in improving its laboratory animal facility in order to enhance the animals’ quality of life and the quality of the research.

Species	Amount
Mice	1589
Rats	342
Sheep	139
Rabbits	34
Cattle	12
Pigs	11
Total	2127

Source: ZoDoende, 2023, NVWA

Alternatives

Good alternative methods have already been developed that complement animal testing. However, in many fields, alternative methods and animal testing will need to coexist for many years in order to continue making progress in (bio)medicine. Particularly in biomedical issues where the immune system or nervous system play a significant role, the complexity of the living organism cannot yet be simulated by alternative methods. Organisations from the government, science, industry and civil society together look for methods that replace, reduce and refine animal testing. Over the past decades, the number of animals used for experimentation has significantly decreased, and the living conditions for animals have been greatly improved (see also the interview with Andreas Teubner, Head of CPV).

Every application for animal experiments submitted to the Central Committee for Animal Experiments (CCD) must justify how they comply with these 3r’s.

Replacement

More and more animal testing is being replaced by alternative methods, for example by computer simulations that mimic biological processes in the human body. Or through research in which human tissue can be used.

Reduction

Reduction is about using as few animals as possible in every experiment. For example, by using data from previous studies. Additionally, new research methods yield more data from fewer animals. At the UM, a method has been developed to double the number of heart cells that can be obtained from a test subject (rat) through a technical improvement in perfusion. As a result, the number of animals used in experiments can be reduced by half.

Refinement

Refinement involves minimizing the discomfort that animals may experience before, during, or after the research. The animals are provided with pain relief medication, and their living conditions are adjusted to allow them to exhibit natural behaviours as much as possible. When feasible, the experimental design ensures that the laboratory animals are kept together and provided with companionship.

Researchers on animal testing

No medicines without animal testing

"All the medications we currently know would not have existed without animal testing. For various reasons, we cannot do without animal testing for the time being. However, my team and I are also working diligently on developing alternatives. Because naturally, I prefer testing something on human cells."

Less stress for animals in the new building

"The mice have a hiding spot in their cage, the sheep walk around in the meadow as much as possible, and rabbits live in a group setting in an office-like space. Improved conditions in the new building will further enhance the quality of life for animals and contribute to the quality of research."

Parkinson’s patients stop shaking

"Our non-human research is always aimed at better understanding diseases and improving treatments, from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's to sensory disorders or mental illnesses. Without animal subjects, for example, deep brain stimulation as a treatment for Parksinson's would not exist."

Wake up, immune system!

"Cancer can grow in humans or animals when the immune system no longer recognizes cell mutations. We essentially give the immune system a good wake-up call: start doing what you're meant to do. This approach initially worked in mice and later in a small group of patients. Now, a study is being conducted with a larger group of patients."

Searching for an Alzheimer's pill

"Finding a new medication that prevents people with mild cognitive impairments from actually developing Alzheimer's disease is the scientific dream of Jos Prickaerts. Unfortunately, animal testing is still necessary to get closer to a pill for Alzheimer's. As scientists, we need to communicate more with the public and policymakers about this."

Transparency regarding animal testing

At the end of 2021, Maastricht University signed the Transparency Agreement on Animal Testing. With this, we endorse the importance of open and transparent communication about animal testing.

In the videos below we provide a look behind the scenes in the animal testing facility and talk to a few researchers about their animal research. This way, we want to contribute to a better-informed and better-founded debate in society about the use of animal testing.