On 15 October a parliamentary committee debate will take place on, amongst other things, animal testing and the transition to animal-free innovation. In preparation for the debate, Silvio Erkens, the state secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN), visited the Ombion centre for animal-free biomedical translation in Utrecht and the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) in Amsterdam on 31 August. He spoke with researchers, animal caretakers and biotechnologists about the dilemmas and opportunities that come with more animal-free, human-focused research and less animal testing.
Gimano Amatngalin and Anne van der Does demonstrate an animal-free model for long diseases
Animal-free and animal testing
In the morning, the state secretary visited Ombion, where he saw demonstrations of animal-free, human-focused models and visited an automated lab. Four main transition projects at Ombion focus on the practical application of animal-free, human-focused innovations for diseases such as ALS, cystic fibrosis, osteoarthritis and other rheumatic diseases, and asthma/COPD. In the afternoon, he visited the NKI's Mouse Cancer Clinic. The NKI mainly uses mice in its research on how cancer develops and to study potential anti-cancer therapies.
Human-focused research into therapies and medicines
Following a welcome from Daniela Salvatori, scientific director, and Celia Berkers, professor of veterinary medicine, at the brand-new Ombion facility in Utrecht, Silvio Erkens saw demonstrations of animal-free models using patient-derived brain organoids. These are microscopic, three-dimensional lab-grown ‘mini brains’ that help researchers understand how neurological diseases like ALS develop and how they can be treated. Scientists develop these three-dimensional tissue models from human stem cells.
Marjolein Sneeboer and Kristel Eigenhuis show Silvio Erkens brain organoids.
Further testing is needed to determine the reliability of these and other new animal-free models that Ombion is developing for research on asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis and other diseases. More understanding is also needed as to which groups of patients will benefit from specific medicines, since the regulatory authorities that supervise the safety and efficacy of medicines need this information in order to authorise their use.
Together with the private sector, Ombion plays a central role in human-relevant innovations in medical science and healthcare, from their development to their application. Renée Moerkens, researcher at Ombion, showed the state secretary round the robotics laboratory, which is currently still being fitted out. The facilities at the robotics laboratory, which is unique in the Netherlands, will play a major role in scaling up animal-free methods and, consequently, in the wider practical application of animal-free techniques. Education and training are another important element of Ombion’s work. During his visit the minister saw first-hand how virtual reality can be employed to avoid the use of animals in teaching.
Bart van Rossum demonstrates to the state secretary how to practice injecting with virtual reality.
Mice as models for cancer patients
After the necessary safety and hygiene procedures had been followed, the state secretary was given a tour by Marieke van de Ven, head of the laboratory animal facility, and Shuraila Zerp, scientific writer and stakeholder engagement adviser of the NKI's experimental department. The Mouse Cancer Clinic (MCC) is part of this department. In the MCC, mice (and a few rats) are animal models for various types of cancer. Researchers use small-scale versions of hospital equipment such as MRI scanners, CT scanners and radiation apparatus to better understand how the disease unfolds in an animal over time. This reduces the number of mice they need for their research.
Marieke van de Ven (head of the laboratory animal facility) and Silvio Erkens at the Mouse Cancer Clinic
At the MCC Silvio Erkens spoke with researchers and biotechnologists about the challenges they are working on. For example, how to carry out animal testing in a way that causes as little distress to the animals as possible, and what opportunities exist for replacing animal testing altogether without compromising research goals.
Research at the Mouse Cancer Clinic
Where we stand now in the transition to animal-free innovation
The state secretary’s visit to the Mouse Cancer Clinic and conversations with its staff gave him a good picture of the current state of animal testing in cancer research and efforts to replace, reduce and refine (the 'three Rs') the use of animals in testing.
The discussions with the researchers from Ombion focused primarily on how animal-free methods developed by academic centres can be scaled up and adopted by companies and research organisations.
The working visit gave the state secretary an insight into where we stand in accelerating the transition to animal-free innovations. Both visits also made it clear that collaboration between projects – such as at Ombion – and between clinical practice and research – such as at the NKI and the Antonie van Leeuwenhoek Hospital – is crucial for research, innovation and better healthcare.
Thank you to everyone who helped organise the working visits and open and constructive discussion of animal-free innovation.