Number of animal experiments at UU and UMC Utrecht decreased

Annual Report Animal Experiments 2023

“After several years of stagnation, a sharp decline in the number of animal experiments is now visible again”, says Pascalle van Loo, head of the Animal Welfare Body Utrecht. “The number of mice and rats in particular shows a steady downward trend in the period 2015-2023, the period in which the amended Experiments on Animals Act is in force, from 15,595 to 12,108.”

Van Loo indicates that fluctuations in experiments using large numbers of animals can have a major effect on the totals. “For example, in 2020 and 2021, the number of animal experiments with zebrafish increased, and in 2022, the number of experiments with chickens was relatively high as a result of an experiment with broiler chickens. In 2023, no such large-scale experiments were carried out, which is why the overall downward trend is now clearly visible. I do not rule out that, as a result of similar experiments in 2024 or 2025, the number of animal experiments could increase again. Nevertheless, the expectation is that the overall downward trend will continue over several years.”

Organs-on-a-chip

“Animal experiments are still necessary, they give us essential insights into disease mechanisms”, says Elly Hol, professor of glia biology of brain diseases and vice-dean of research at the UMC Utrecht in the foreword to the annual report. “Of course, there are limitations to animal testing, a mouse, for example, is not a mini-human and the disease in a mouse model often does not progress in the same way as in the patient. That is why biomedical researchers have embraced new technologies such as human induced pluripotent stem cells, or organs-on-a-chip, so that the number of animal tests can be reduced.”

Transition

Utrecht University and UMC Utrecht use laboratory animals for research and education. In these two areas, hard work is being done to develop methods without laboratory animals, such as organs-on-a-chip, computer predictions, mock animals for veterinary students to practice on and virtual reality. These innovations ensure better research and education with fewer laboratory animals. The arrival of the new national Centre for Animal-Free Biomedical Translation (CPBT), an initiative of Utrecht University, UMC Utrecht, University of Applied Sciences Utrecht and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, will further accelerate the transition to animal-free biomedical innovations.