Overhead drone shot of the Capitol and the Pentacrest

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Animal models are valuable resources in the effort to better understand the underlying biological mechanisms that make our bodies work. This basic research is important for developing new treatments for a range of health conditions and diseases that affect people and animals. 

The development of new treatments for specific species of animals -- cats, dogs, farm animals, wildlife, and endangered species -- often requires animal studies. 

Animal research has discovered many remarkable lifesaving and life-extending treatments for animals. This includes vaccines, antibiotics, surgical procedures, artificial insemination and embryo transfer, anesthetics, and other approaches that are commonly used in veterinary medicine. 

These treatments benefit the agricultural industry, support the biodiversity of our ecosystem, and provide enhanced care for our companion pets. 

Yes. Before researchers can receive approval to use animals, they must demonstrate that they have looked for non-animal alternatives that are scientifically possible. 

At the University of Iowa, we strongly support the development of non-animal alternative approaches for research. Although advancements are being made every day, at this time, alternative approaches cannot accurately replicate or model all biologic, physiologic, and behavioral aspects of human disease.

Alternative research methods, such as modeling and studying cells in a dish, are routinely used to reduce the number of animals that must be used. However, the current technologies cannot yet fully replace a whole, complex biological system.

Furthermore, for ethical reasons, many new therapies must first be tested in animals before they can progress to human trials. Therefore, the research community must still conduct humane and responsible animal research in order to discover and implement new cures for diseases.

To minimize the use of animal models, researchers follow the Four R’s which govern the ethical use of animals in research: 

  1. Replacement of animals with other models when scientifically possible,
  2. Reduction of the number of animals used,
  3. Refinement of procedures to ensure the best care and comfort, and
  4. Responsibility for the humane use of animals.
 
Other scientific and practical considerations

(source: Harvard University)

  • To understand how a given disease arises at the most basic level and how it progresses through various stages, researchers must induce the disease in animal models—something that would be neither ethical nor possible to do in humans.
  • Certain experiments are simply impossible in humans. For example, researchers who study the gut microbiome must often feed different groups of animals strictly controlled diets. They must keep them in an entirely sterile environment free of any germs or engineer them to have guts completely free of any microbes. None of this is possible in humans.
  • For some types of research, animals must be engineered to have or lack certain genes (or the proteins made by these genes) in order to determine what role a gene and its protein might play in disease development. This is not possible to do in humans for legal, ethical, and scientific reasons.
  • Researchers often recreate many serious diseases — including cancer, neurodegenerative conditions, and autoimmune diseases — in animal models to study a condition in detail and to test possible treatments. Doing so in humans would not be ethical, legal, or possible.

Research projects involving animals are governed by a complex set of federal and institutional laws, policies, and procedures. The university participates in reoccurring site visits and inspections by accrediting bodies and federal agencies. 

In addition, since 1994, the UI has voluntarily participated in an accreditation process by AAALAC International, a private, nonprofit organization that promotes the humane treatment of animals in science. 

Read more about external oversight at the University of Iowa. 

In addition to the external oversight mentioned above, the University of Iowa has a institutional animal care and use committee that conducts an ethical evaluation of each proposed project involving animals in research, teaching, or training. 

It’s important to understand that “failure” is a normal part of the scientific process. By definition, research is the exploration of specific questions towards greater understanding of and knowledge about particular phenomenon. The process of science is a series of ethically-conducted trials and errors that help us make incremental advancements towards better understanding the world around us.

Scientific studies that help researchers glean important information about what does and doesn’t work are still advancements in understanding that can help researchers determine what to do next. “Failures” may be unexpected findings, or findings that change the course of the inquiry. Within the scientific community, “failures” are still valuable for moving the field forward.