In vitro technology

Everyone wants to reduce the number of studies requiring animal testing. We do, too. However, this is not an easy thing to do. For this reason, we are conducting a lot of research on alternative testing methods, guided by the principle of the 3Rs: Reduction, Refinement and Replacement.

BPRC promotes and supports the application of alternative methods at each of its individual research departments. In addition, we have a dedicated Alternative Methods unit, which is fully devoted to finding alternative solutions.

The experiments conducted by our Alternative Methods unit
This unit has designed and characterised a large number of cell culture methods. These methods allow researchers to perform tests on relevant cells in a culture system, before even performing any animal testing. Such ‘pre in vivo tests’ significantly reduce the number of experiments involving experimental animals. What is important here is that we often use the remains of animals who have died to cultivate cells. In this way, the end of one experiment constitutes the beginning of another experiment.

The work we do
One of our other objectives is to refine animal testing by reducing the amount of discomfort experienced by the animals. For instance, we focus on the use of adjuvants. Adjuvants are components of vaccines that activate the immune system. Unfortunately, some of the most powerful adjuvants used in animal testing cause adverse reactions, such as inflammation of the skin. One of our fields of research focuses on the development of new adjuvants without side-effects. To this end, we have developed testing techniques that do not involve any animal testing, which are often used by our researchers. We have developed an adjuvant of our own whose efficacy is currently being tested.

Our challenges
Cell culture methods are obvious alternatives to animal testing. However, in actual practice, these methods do not always work out. For instance, long-lived cell lines are only suited to particular research questions. This is because these cell lines are generally immortal, tend to be derived from tumours and are therefore different from regular cells. Primary cell cultures are less long lived, meaning we have to start from scratch more regularly. However, they do provide a much more reliable picture of a regular situation than do cell lines. Perhaps stem cell technology will in future help us establish long-lived cell culture systems.
Another challenge we must address is how to convert the results we have obtained in the lab into methods that can be applied to humans and animals. Validation procedures require that we sometimes use animals.

Why we continue to need monkeys for research purposes
To this day, clinical trials cannot be held without prior animal testing. Cell cultures predict how cells may respond. However, it is quite a stretch to predict on this basis how a complex system such as an organ or a living being will respond. We are making progress, slowly but surely. In a small minority of studies, monkeys are the only animals suitable for the study of serious diseases in humans. Pursuant to Dutch law, monkeys can only be used as experimental animals when no alternative method exists. This is why we are doing our utmost to develop such alternative methods.