Unit 1:    The Science of Animal Research

I       Intro to Lab Animal Science               

Reading Assignment:  FAQs About Animal Research   
        (in text links are for additional information and not required reading)

1. Laboratory Animal Science

“Virtually every major medical advance for both humans and animals has been achieved through biomedical research using animal models to study and find a cure for a disease and through animal testing to provide the safety and efficacy of a new treatment."

- C. Everett Koop, MD,   Former US Surgeon General

We’re healthier than we’ve ever been.  Our pets live longer, healthier lives as well, thanks in part to research using laboratory animals. Over the past century, many remarkable advances have been made in human and animal medicine, from the discovery of insulin to control diabetes mellitus in dogs through current research with mice that may lead to an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.

Any animal used in research is a “laboratory animal.”  Everyone knows about the laboratory rat and mouse, but other animals can be used, including woodchucks (liver cancer), armadillos (leprosy), lobsters (Parkinson's disease) and slugs (the study of memory loss).

Extensive study has determined the best way to care for laboratory animals.  We know what to feed each species of animal, the minimum size of cage and if the cage should be tall or short,  what room temperature should be, and what type of bedding to use.  We know if we should use a litter pan and what type of ventilation is needed.  We know how to collect blood, breed and maintain animals, perform technical procedures and select the most appropriate kind of animals for an experiment.  We know how to write and perform experiments so that the results are usable.  We know the regulations that protect animal welfare and methods to minimize pain and distress.  This body of knowledge is called “Laboratory Animal Science.”  It is the foundation of the care and husbandry procedures used in research facilities.  Ensuring the health of research animals is part of laboratory animal science and is called “Laboratory Animal Medicine.” 

Whether an animal is a patient that comes to a veterinary hospital or the subject in an experiment, we are the advocates for that animal.  Their welfare is our responsibility.  If the people who care about animals don't take care of them, who does that leave?

2. The Use of Animals in Research

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), part of the United States Department of Agriculture, oversees the use of animals in research and compiles an annual report of the number of animals used.  Up to 90% of research animals are rats and mice, however--animals that are currently excluded from APHIS supervision. 

Approximately 1.2 million regulated animals were used in 1999.  Because of the exclusion of rats and mice,  the total number of research animals was actually 15 to 20 million.

Rabbits are the third most commonly used laboratory animal.  They make up about 5% of the total number of animals used.  Dogs and cats each contribute approximately 1% and nonhuman primates are less than 0.5% of the animals used in 1999.  Other animals monitored by APHIS make up the remaining 1% and include farm animals used in research, guinea pigs, hamsters, and chinchillas.

The number of regulated animals used in research has decreased significantly since 1975:  dog use has decreased 54%, cats by 55% and rabbits by 37%.

Rat and mouse usage increased, however, as these animals were substituted for dogs, cats and rabbits.  Primate use increased as well, partially due to the establishment of breeding colonies in the United States which made more animals available.  In addition, the close relationship between human and nonhuman primates makes nonhuman primates excellent models for human diseases.

There are many advantages to using small animals, such as mice, instead of dogs or nonhuman primates.  Smaller animals generally are much less expensive—a mouse may cost $4.00 compared to $400.00 for a dog.  More small animals can be housed in a single room and require less food and bedding.  Small animals also are less labor-intensive:  it is quicker and easier to clean a dirty cage that housed four mice than to clean one dog’s cage.  Another advantage of using animals such as mice is that they usually have a shorter life span and more rapid reproductive rate; this allows you to see the results of an experiment more quickly.  

Many types of animal use are classed as research:

• Education and training  (including Veterinary Technology programs)

• Product development  (such as antibiotics and the cardiac pacemaker)

• Safety testing  (of cleaning compounds, drugs, cosmetics, etc.)

• Procedure development  (such as liver transplants and kidney dialysis)

• Study of diseases  (such as diabetes mellitus and AIDS)
  
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3. A Very Brief History of Laboratory Animal Science

The earliest record of the use of animals for experimentation is found in Aristotle’s description of animal dissections in the fourth century BC.  Galen, working in 150-200 AD, established experimentation as the essential path to scientific knowledge. 

Little animal experimentation occurred in Europe until Andreas Vesalius performed public dissections of dogs, pigs and humans during the 1500s.  These demonstrations provided a foundation for the increase in knowledge of anatomy and physiology during the succeeding centuries.  William Harvey described the circulatory system of the dog in 1628.  Stephen Hales measured blood pressure for the first time in 1740, using a horse.  In the 1800s, Claude Bernard studied physiology and developed many experimental procedures and practices, including selection of the appropriate animal for the experiment.  Louis Pasteur’s experiments in microbiology helped establish the scientific method and the role of pathogenic organisms in causing diseases of animals and humans.

Concern over the welfare of animals also developed during the 1800s.  The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was founded in New York City in 1866 to prevent the abuse of cart horses.  Over time, other welfare agencies were established throughout the United States and other animals received their protection. 

The fields of laboratory animal science and medicine developed throughout the 1900s.  In 1915, Simon Brimhall was hired as the first laboratory animal veterinarian in the United States.  He helped establish the research program at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.   The first professor of Laboratory Animal Medicine at a veterinary school was Dr Carl Schlotthauer, appointed to the Faculty of the University of Minnesota School of Veterinary Medicine in 1945.  Dr Charles Griffin, veterinarian at the New York State Division of Laboratories in the 1950s, developed pathogen-free animals and established standards of sanitation that persist today.

Dr Nathan Brewer was appointed the supervisor of the laboratory animal facilities at the University of Chicago in 1945.  He helped develop the first laboratory animal organization, the Animal Care Panel, and served as its first president.  He guided the Animal Care Panel for many years and was instrumental in its evolution into the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science  (AALAS) in 1967. 

The scientists and veterinarians from Aristotle to Brewer and beyond laid the foundation for the Laboratory Animal Science and Medicine professions that safeguard the animals used in research today.

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4. Organizations Involved with Laboratory Animals

   Many different organizations are involved with the care and welfare of laboratory animals.  These agencies can be roughly divided into those that support the use of animals and those agencies that oppose their use.   
   
   Many federal, state and local government agencies are responsible for regulating animal use and ensuring that research facilities conform to appropriate standards of care.  

   Other organizations operate independently.  They provide a venue for promoting the wise use of animals and create educational materials for their members and the public.  Some prominent nongovernmental organizations are described below.

   The American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) is a primary non-governmental organization involved in the use of laboratory animals.  The goals of AALAS include:
   

   • Promotion of the humane care and use of laboratory animals (animal welfare)

   • Encouragement of responsible research

   • Education of research animal personnel

   • Establishment of standards and licensure of laboratory animal  personnel

   The Association for the Assessment and Accreditation for Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC) was founded in 1967 to establish standards of excellence for research facilities.  Many laboratories undergo AAALAC’s rigorous inspection and review process to obtain AAALAC accreditation.  This is a voluntary program similar to the American Animal Hospital Association accreditation for veterinary hospitals.  
   
   The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) promotes the health and welfare of all animals, including those used in research.  Acceptable methods of euthanasia are established by the AVMA and are periodically updated. 
   
   The American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) is a specialty board of the AVMA that sets standards for the specialty field of Laboratory Animal Medicine and certifies “Diplomates” by examination.

   The American Society for Laboratory Animal Practitioners (ASLAP) is an organization of laboratory animal veterinarians that provides information for veterinarians and veterinary students about animals used in research.

   The Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources (ILAR) was established by the National Academy of Sciences, an independent federally-funded organization, in 1956.  The Institute wrote (and periodically updates) the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, which contains detailed standards of animal care and personnel training.  

   There are other organizations that want to ensure humane use or even curtail or eliminate the use of animals in research.   Many of the current standards and advances in responsible animal care were initiated in response to the concerns of these organizations.

   Organizations such as the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights (AVAR) support restrictions on animal use in research.  
   
   Other groups advocate complete abolition of animal use.  These organizations believe that animals have rights equal to the rights of humans.  Examples of animal rights organizations include:
   

   • People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which believes that animals are not ours to eat, wear, own or use for experimentation

   • Animal Liberation Front (ALF), which liberates animals and destroys research facilities  

   • National Anti-Vivisection Society  (NAVS), which is working to prevent all animal research

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5. The Professionals of Laboratory Animal Science

• Laboratory Animal Caretakers

• Assistant Laboratory Animal Technicians

• Laboratory Animal Technicians

• Laboratory Animal Technologists

• Laboratory Animal Veterinarians

• Principal Investigators

From the caretaker who cleans the cage to the investigator who writes the experiment, all of these team members have specialized training.  This ensures that they are able to provide the best possible care to the animals that depend upon them. 

The Principal Investigator (PI) is researcher who is responsible for an experiment.  Often, this person is a doctor (MD, DVM or PhD) or is a student working on a Master’s or Doctoral degree.   Specific activities of the PI include:

• Design of the experimental protocol

• Written description of the experiment and required documents concerning animal care

• Budgeting and grant applications to pay for the research

• Oversight of and/or performance the experiment

• Interpretation of results

The Laboratory Animal Veterinarian has overall responsibility for the health and welfare of  animals used in research.  Many Veterinarians working in research are board-certified members of ACLAM (specialists in laboratory animal medicine).

The American Association of Laboratory Animal Science has certification programs that set the professional standards of knowledge and skills for the laboratory animal care profession.  Many facilities hire only AALAS-certified personnel.  The levels of certification are Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT), Laboratory Animal Technician (LAT) and Laboratory Animal Technologist (LATg).

 Veterinary Technicians that work in research facilities usually achieve AALAS certification at the LAT or LATg level. 

Certified laboratory animal personnel have been educated in animal husbandry, facility management, and animal health and welfare.  In addition to education, work experience in a laboratory animal facility is required.  The length of experience is dependent upon the level of education that the technician has achieved  (for example, an animal caretaker with an associate of science degree must work in a research facility for two and a half years before they are eligible to sit for the Laboratory Animal Technician examination).

Assistant Laboratory Animal Technicians	Laboratory Animal Technicians	Laboratory Animal Technologists
Responsible for basic care of research animals	Responsible for advanced husbandry and technical procedures.  They often perform more complex and difficult activities.	Responsible for the management of an animal colony.  They coordinate all the activities in the animal facility and adapt procedures and materials to meet special needs.   They are often more involved in research and program functions, rather than direct animal care.
Cleaning cages and animal rooms Providing fresh food and water Monitoring of environmental conditions Observation of animals and reporting signs of sickness to their supervisor Assisting Laboratory Animal Technicians and Laboratory Animal Technologists Acting as the link between the animal and the rest of the lab animal team Return to top of page	Similar activities to those performed by the ALATs Maintaining breeding colonies and appropriate breeding records Preparing and maintaining sterile instruments for surgery Setting up and performance of routine laboratory tests and procedures Assisting Laboratory Animal Technologists, Veterinarians and Principal Investigators	Management and supervision of other animal care personnel Providing treatment for sick animals Implementation of biosafety and radiation safety programs Supervision of germfree animal protocols Assisting the PI in data collection and experimental procedures It takes teamwork!!