Analysis of Animal Research Ethics Committee Membership at American Institutions

Animals

Lawrence A. Hansen²  Justin R. Goodman¹ 

[1] People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, 1536 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA; E-Mail:;Departments of Neurosciences and Pathology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; E-Mail:

关键词: animal research;    ethics;    laboratory animals;    Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees;    3Rs;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ani2010068

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

This study analyzed the membership of animal experimentationoversight committees at leading U.S. research institutions. We found the leadership andgeneral membership of these committees to be dominated by animal researchers and theremainder of the committees to be largely comprised of other institutional representatives.These arrangements may contribute to previously-documented committee biases in favor ofapproving animal experiments and dilute input from the few members representing animalwelfare and the interests of the general public.

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs) were created to review, approve and oversee animal experiments and to balance the interests of researchers, animals, institutions and the general public. This study analyzed the overall membership of IACUCs at leading U.S. research institutions. We found that these committees and their leadership are comprised of a preponderance of animal researchers, as well as other members who are affiliated with each institution; some of whom also work in animal laboratories. This overwhelming presence of animal research and institutional interests may dilute input from the few IACUC members representing animal welfare and the general public, contribute to previously-documented committee bias in favor of approving animal experiments and reduce the overall objectivity and effectiveness of the oversight system.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2012 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.