The use of animals in experimentation and other scientific purposes in Spain increased slightly in 2023 compared to the previous year, mainly due to research carried out with sea bass. These aquaculture studies with commercial objectives recorded more than 300,000 uses of larvae, which, although microscopic, count the same in statistics as a macaque or a mouse. Apparently, the barely invasive studies were aimed at understanding the nutrition of the species in captivity. This has caused fish to be animals almost as widely used as rodents, traditionally stars of laboratories. The presence of mice, dogs and macaques has decreased.
According to the latest report on experimental animals of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in 2023 the laboratories carried out a total of 1,144,214 uses of animals (since 2009 the report includes the number of uses instead of the number of specimens, since these can be reused more than once. time) compared to 1,123,245 in 2022.
“The apparent rebound in the uses of animals may surprise, but it is due to the incorporation of experimental projects that involve fish larvae with autonomous feeding, which implies that they count the same as any other specimen,” explains biologist Lluis Montoliu, one of the coordinators of the Commission for the Study of the Use of Animals in Scientific Research of the Confederation of Scientific Societies of Spain (COSCE). “If we remove the fish – mostly bass and salmon – the use of animals (in 2023) decreased by 8% from 2022.” In 2022, fish larvae were used 526,000 times, which that year increased the use of animals for scientific purposes by 70% compared to the previous year.
The most requested species last year continues to be the mouse (439,229 uses, although 30,000 less than the previous year, with the aim of maintaining established colonies of genetically altered animals), followed by the sea bass (337,536). They are followed far behind in number by poultry and other fish. The only rodents that have seen an increase in use are Chinese hamsters (not previously used) and others such as the field mouse, which have increased significantly (from 94 to 695 uses) due to environmental protection studies. The number of uses of rabbits (15,669) has been significantly reduced and that of pigs has increased (12,390), as they are a great animal model for medical research. That of dogs (1,491) has decreased and that of crab-eating macaques, the only primate used in Spain in 2023, has been reduced to less than half (295), due to a specific health problem in one of the centers with the greatest research activity. which led to a temporary cessation of research with primates. Curiously, the uses of cephalopods have increased (more than 6,000), linked to the research that is being carried out for their breeding in aquaculture.
The majority of animals participated in translational and applied research (659,290 uses) and in basic research (315,671). Rodents and beagles are essential for developing gene therapies for, for example, rare and metabolic diseases, while macaques are essential in studies of vaccine candidates.
Regarding the suffering that the experimental animals may have felt, in 92% of the cases, the intervention had mild or moderate effects; In 6% they were severe and in the rest, 2%, the animal died. Furthermore, the majority of the specimens, 77%, were not genetically modified. Among those who were, only 4% suffered a notable pathology, being models for some human diseases.
According to researcher Amanda Sierra, one of the COSCE Commission coordinators for the study, research with animals is still necessary. «It is regulatory before clinical trials in humans, as we saw in the vaccines for Covid-19. A new drug for Alzheimer’s has been approved in Europe and has been made possible thanks to many years of animal research. But it is also important in basic research. My team tries to understand how the brain works, and for this it is essential,” he says. In his opinion, “alternative models are needed to replace animal research, such as human mini brains that we can grow in dishes to study Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis or Alzheimer’s.”
This Monday the seventh Annual Report of the COSCE Transparency Agreementprepared by the European Animal Research Association (EARA) and which includes the progress made in 2023 on transparency in the use of animals for scientific experimentation in Spain. The agreement, launched by COSCE in 2016, seeks to improve public understanding of the use of animals in research and encourage transparency. With 168 member institutions, it is the one with the largest participation worldwide.
The report reveals that all institutions publish an accessible statement on their websites about the use of animals in research, and that 67% participate in scientific dissemination activities, such as guided tours and educational events, compared to 54% the previous year. “We continue to be an important example for many countries,” says Montoliu, who emphasizes that it is a voluntary signature “that gives credibility to the rest of society.”
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