Besides the frequent use of alternatives like cell lines, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), organoids (mini-organs), DNA analyses and computer and other models, limited use is made of animals to achieve answers to some complex questions.

For the wellbeing of humans and animals

This type of research teaches us more about how animals and humans function, e.g. how organs interact, or how food can affect the immune system or the brain. This tells us how the brain develops and works but also how neurological and psychiatric disorders arise and can be treated, both with the ultimate objective of improving animal and human welfare.

Legal consent

As you might imagine, scientists are not free to conduct research on live animals whenever they want. This is regulated by law and permission has to be sought and obtained from a specialist, legally-competent body before any research is conducted.

The following interests must always be weighed up: does the research objective really justify the use of this number of animals? Has this research already been done elsewhere, which would make animal procedures unnecessary? Could a different type of research - without the use of animals - be conducted to achieve the same outcomes? Are these numbers well-founded? To ensure this weighing up of interests takes place as it should, the use of laboratory animals is subject to strict national rules and legal agreements.

The Experiments on Animals Act

The amended Experiments on Animals Act (Wet op de dierproeven or Wod) entered into force on 18 December 2014. Any institution wishing to conduct animal procedures must apply for a licence from the Central Authority for Scientific Procedures on Animals (Centrale Commissie Dierproeven or CCD) for each research project. A project may consist of one or more separate animal procedures and have a maximum validity of five years. An institution must obtain a project licence from the CCD before implementing a project involving animal procedures. A licence will be granted if there are no other research methods that could be used to answer the scientific question at hand and if the usefulness and necessity of the research sufficiently outweigh the suffering of the animal.

Thorough training

Anyone who works with laboratory animals at the university must have undergone thorough training, preparation and assessment. These employees have completed a course and have the legal competence necessary (see Section 9 of the Experiments on Animals Act) to independently conduct an approved animal experiment. They have also been given detailed instructions about the strict rules applicable to procedures in the laboratory animal facility and also consider the ethical questions and choices associated with the use and welfare of laboratory animals in research. The UvA wants everyone who works with laboratory animals to be very aware of all the issues and considerations relevant to the use of laboratory animals and act responsibly.

Ethical review: reduction, refinement, replacement

The CCD asks an Animal Ethics Committee (DEC) - which is an independent body - to review whether the scientific and societal importance of the proposed research outweighs the use of laboratory animals and their suffering. The DEC also reviews the feasibility of the research. Another important part of the ethical review involves ascertaining whether the ‘three Rs’ principle (reduction, refinement and replacement), which applies in respect of the use of laboratory animals, is applied optimally.

The DEC consists of a number of experts on animal procedures, alternatives to animal procedures, laboratory animals and their protection and the ethical review. The DEC applies principles taken from the work of ethicist Henriëtte Bout (Bout, 2009): severe suffering by animals can only be justified by both a major societal interest and a major scientific interest in labelling the action as morally right; moderate suffering by animals can only be justified by both a large societal or scientific interest in labelling the action as morally right; minor suffering by animals can only be justified by an at least sufficient scientific interest in labelling the action as morally right.

Internal supervision

The Wod [link: http://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0003081/2014-12-18] requires the external and internal supervision of three things: the welfare of laboratory animals, the conducting of animal procedures and compliance with the Wod. Before a user starts to do an animal procedure that is part of a project for which a project licence has been granted, its implementation must be discussed with the institution’s animal welfare body (IvD).

The IvD, which includes a qualified, internal laboratory animal specialist, monitors the correct implementation of research plans and the welfare, housing and care of the laboratory animals. Monitoring will also include the competence and skills of the persons responsible for conducting the research and/or those directly involved in the handling of laboratory animals. Where necessary, the IvD will make binding recommendations for improvement.

External supervision

The UvA has a licence to conduct animal procedures, as set out in Section 2 of the Wod, and a licence to breed laboratory animals, as set out in Section 11a of the Wod. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) is responsible for the external supervision of compliance with the Wod by institutional licence holders and carries out announced and unannounced inspections for this purpose.

Annual figures

Every year, each licensed institution that conducts animal procedures is required to submit information about such procedures to the NVWA. The latest information about animal procedures and laboratory animals can be found in the NVWA's Zo doende document, which is an annual review of animal procedures and laboratory animals. It contains a separate table from the UvA showing the numbers per species and the purpose of procedures in a specific registration year.