CBR coordinates animal experiments

LiU develops and clarifies policy

For as long as there is a need for new drugs and treatments, research using animal testing will be necessary until the development of reliable alternatives. Linköping University (LiU) is now expanding its activities with completely new, ultra-modern facilities to provide both researchers and animals with the best conditions possible.

“The research issues are so multifaceted that they cannot be dealt with simply with simulations or in vitro tests, no matter how much we may wish to avoid animal experiments. LiU policy is very clear,” says Heriberto Rodriguez-Martinez, professor of Reproduction Biology and head of the Centre for Biomedical Resources (CBR), which manages all animal experiments under the same umbrella.

When the current plans are realised, in around 2015, he anticipates having a very competent team with around 20 animal technicians. In addition, there will be a number of officials accredited by the relevant authorities, vets and experts who will train students and researchers, monitor animal protection issues and develop methodology – all based on the university policy on animal experimentation.

“Here you aren’t allowed to pick up a mouse unless you are trained for it. The training requirement is regulated in an EU directive, Swedish animal protection legislation and government authority regulations. In addition, each research project has to be approved by the regional board of animal research ethics. There is a big difference from food production where many people handle animals without any formal training,” says Rodriguez-Martinez, who originally was a vet himself.

CBR’s has two levels of responsibility:

• Administrative responsibility – communicating with the authorities and make sure that Swedish animal protection legislation and EU directives are observed. CBR activities are monitored by the Board of Agriculture and the County Administrative Board, who periodically carry out inspections when facilities are opened or changed.
• Operational responsibility for all large-scale facilities. Campus US houses the old, now partly redesigned animal department for rats and mice, and also a new aquatic facility for studies on frogs and zebra fish. There are two units on Campus Valla, the Transitional Medicine Centre (TMC), primarily for surgery on large mammals and an annex for behavioural studies on rodents. Behavioural research on chickens is carried out at the university facility in Vreta, while research on the smallest animals – fruit flies – is carried out in different research teams’ own laboratories.

In 2015, parts of the work will be brought together in newly built premises adjoining the University Hospital – 2,500 square metres with space for three times as many rats and mice as at present.

“CBR is a research driven organisation with researchers who spend a large part of their working day in the facilities. Each researcher who needs space for his/her animals pays “full board”: habitat, food, water and care, and then also for extra services in conjunction with various experiments,” Rodriguez-Martinez says.

He wants animal experimentation to be scaled to suit the needs of the research. At the same time, CBR is working to reduce the use of animals in accordance with the 3Rs concept - “reduce, refine and replace”. Alternative methods in use today include cell cultivation, chip testing and computer simulations. Rodriguez-Martinez himself has a PhD student who tests pharmaceutical substances on pig sperm.

Reducing the suffering of animals and making their lives as good as they can be is at the top of the agenda. One piece of ongoing work is looking at better managing pain and measuring stress, another is looking at “environmental enrichment” – from climbing frames and tunnels for mice, twigs for rabbits to chew on and water plants for the zebra fish to hide in. Priority is given to ethological work.

“Research on animals rouses strong opinions both for and against. People have a perception of animals that we must respect,” Rodriguez-Martinez thinks; at the same time he has to look after the safety of his staff.

“Our staff should not have to be confronted by external action. CBR has a detailed approach to security, but we say no to surveillance cameras and secluded premises. We want to be completely open about our activities.

Text: Åke Hjelm
5 April, 2013