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Not only ethical but also scientific principles demand that pain and suffering in lab animals are kept to a minimum. Increased stress before and during tests influence the results and can lead to false findings. That is why compliance with 3R/3V in vivo research is imperative. The 3R have become the most commonly cited postulates in publications on the topic of in vivo experiments, and reference is made to them in national and international legislation.
The 3R concept refers to measures capable of hindering (replacement) and decreasing (reduction) pain and stress in lab animals and relieving (refinement) animals through improved keeping and handling of animals. The terminology goes back to two scientists who were asked by the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare in Great Britain to conduct a study of humane techniques in animal research. Five years later, zoologist William M. S. Russell and microbiologist Rex L. Burch summarized their findings in the 1959 paper "The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique" and coined the terms replacement, reduction and refinement. In this work, they postulated a direct relationship between good scientific practice and animal welfare, i.e., the improvement of results through humane treatment of animals and reduction of chronic stress.
Replacement
Replacement refers to the substitution of appropriate, validated methods for animal experimentation. Russell and Burch differentiate here between the following types:
Reduction
The concept of reduction is based on:
Refinement
Refinement is achieved through all measures that represent a reduction in stress situations and other burdens for lab animals. The test environment can be summarized as follows:
Through the training opportunities, establishment and dissemination of alternative methods in the spirit of the 3Rs at Biomedical Research, researchers are specifically introduced to implementation of the 3Rs in their research. In this way, pain and suffering in laboratory animals can be kept to a minimum and alternative methods are applied for replacement, reduction and refinement.