Abstract
The congress topics
In August 2021, the WC11 was performed as a virtual event with the main theme ‘3Rs in transition: from development to application’. The event focused on the discrepancy between progress in cutting-edge non-animal methods and their limited implementation in standard scientific pipelines and regulatory frameworks. New technologies such as stem cell/iPSCs-based screenings, organoids, and bioengineered organ-on-a-chip devices are increasingly being used as non-animal alternatives and hold tremendous potential for translational discovery. However, measurable progress in terms of replacing animal models and reducing the numbers of laboratory animals currently used in research remains low due to several reasons. The meeting hosted various expert panel discussions focused on the identification of barriers and challenges for the implementation of non-animal alternatives and advocating the commitment of the scientific community to set up a clear path towards alternatives’ implementations in the future. With the subdivision into four main topics – Safety; Disease; Ethics, Welfare and Regulation; and Innovative Technologies – the congress successfully provided an all-round perspective on the different 3R fields in need of immediate actions.
With respect to non-animal alternatives and the reduction and refinement of animal experiments, some challenges discussed were reproducibility, standardization, and evaluation, which need to be addressed to ensure reliability and implementation especially in biomedical and fundamental research. Other challenges such as transparent dissemination and communication, as well as the need for further collaboration on a global scale and engagement with different stakeholders, were continuously named keywords to pave the way for higher acceptance of 3Rs methods and technologies among end-users both in academia and industry, and, crucially, to convince regulators and policymakers. Furthermore, there were important reflective discussions on the current approaches to refine and reduce animal-based research, with inspiring talks and insights about their huge potential to increase the welfare and wellbeing of laboratory animals. These included informative sessions on rehoming of laboratory animals, severity assessment, minimally aversive methodologies, training and education, and organ/tissue sharing.
Laboratory Animals Contributions
A session on ‘Open Science and Transparency in Animal-Based Research’ was sponsored by Laboratory Animals Limited (LAL) and chaired by Jan-Bas Prins. Open Science is the umbrella term for efforts aimed at achieving more openness in science. In principle, results and data of publicly funded research should be made freely available at no cost. Especially in animal-based research, access to research outcomes and transparency on methodology and findings have important ethical dimensions. In the session, it was also discussed which responsibilities rely on funders, journal editors, and reviewers to make this possible, and how scientists hold a shared responsibility to promote further openness in science. Different stakeholders were asked to present their view on open science and transparency in animal-based research. Talks included editors’ view (Alejandra Clark, Senior Editor PLoS, and Gavin Jarvis, Section Editor LAJ), funders’ view (Bas de Waard, zonmw), and reviewers’ and authors’ obligations (Anna Olsson, University of Porto).
The congress also emphasized the importance of engaging with the next generation of scientists by providing a diverse programme for young investigators (YOU-WC11) to boost and shape their career path within the 3R field. Besides the opportunity to establish new networks with experienced professionals in the field and peer young investigators, workshops provided new insights on publishing (‘Review Process’, Annemarie Lang, LAJ Editor-in-Chief team), career paths, urgent topics that are hindering the expansion of the 3Rs, and challenges for professional accomplishments (e.g. imposter syndrome) according to the motto ‘YOU are not alone!’. The high engagement and tremendous motivation of the next generation was further underlined by the inspiring flash presentations from pre-selected young investigators in the categories ‘Replace’ and ‘Refine’. The best presenters were honoured with YOU-WC11 3R Awards during the general award ceremony, along with prestigious awards such as the Russell and Burch Award (to Uwe Marx, TissUse GmbH), the Charles River Excellence in Refinement Award (to Adrian Smith, Norecopa), and the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Award (Helena Kandarova, Slovak Academy of Sciences).
Overall, the congress brought together attendees from all over the globe and from a wide field of professions. LAL and the LAJ EIC team were honoured to be able to contribute to this event.