LABORATORY ANIMALS: HONORING THE PAST AND EMBRACING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FUTURE

Abstract

Rodents, particularly mice and rats, are indispensable to life science research and have enabled major breakthroughs in understanding biology, uncovering disease mechanisms, and developing new therapies. Despite the FDA’s recent plans to phase out certain mandatory animal-testing requirements and the European Commission’s preparation of a “Roadmap Towards Phasing Out Animal Testing for Chemical Safety Assessments (Communication C(2023)5041),” animal models remain essential for translating basic scientific discoveries into medical advances and for improving both human and animal health. From the earliest physiological experiments that revealed the beating of the heart and the function of the nervous system, to discoveries that led to antibiotics, vaccines, and gene therapies, laboratory animals have been at the foundation of nearly every medical advance. Their contribution deserves deep appreciation and ethical reflection. The use of animals in scientific inquiry is deeply rooted in human history, from Aristotle’s early dissections to the controlled experimental work of Pasteur and Lavoisier that shaped modern biomedicine. With the advent of preclinical testing, drug discovery, and genetic engineering, animal models have become indispensable for studying disease mechanisms and evaluating therapeutic safety and efficacy.

Laboratorijske živali: počastitev preteklosti in sprejemanje odgovornosti za prihodnost

Glodavci, zlasti miši in podgane, so nepogrešljivi v znanstvenih raziskavah in so omogočili ključne preboje pri razumevanju biologije, odkrivanju mehanizmov bolezni ter razvoju novih terapij. Kljub nedavnim načrtom FDA za postopno opuščanje testiranja na živalih ter “Načrta za postopno odpravo testiranja na živalih pri oceni kemijske varnosti (Communication C(2023)5041)” s strani Evropske komisije, živalski modeli ostajajo bistveni za prenos temeljnih znanstvenih odkritij v medicinski napredek ter za izboljšanje zdravja ljudi in živali. Od najzgodnejših fizioloških poskusov, ki so razkrili utripanje srca in delovanje živčnega sistema, do odkritij, ki so vodila do antibiotikov, cepiv in genskih terapij, so laboratorijske živali temelj skoraj vsakega medicinskega napredka. Njihov prispevek si zasluži globoko spoštovanje in etični premislek. Uporaba živali v znanstvenem raziskovanju ima globoke korenine v človeški zgodovini, od Aristotelovih zgodnjih seciranj do nadzorovanih eksperimentalnih del Louisa Pasteurja in Lavoisierja, ki so oblikovala temelje sodobne biomedicine. Z razvojem predkliničnega testiranja, odkrivanja zdravil in gensko-inženirskih pristopov so živalski modeli postali nepogrešljivi za preučevanje mehanizmov bolezni ter ocenjevanje varnosti in učinkovitosti terapij.

Ključne besede: miš; podgana; živalski modeli