The Role of IACUCs in Responsible Animal Research.

Abstract

In order to ensure animal welfare during the course of scientific enquiry, there is a strong framework of animal welfare standards for the use of animals in biomedical research [1]. Within the United states much of animal research in the public sector is covered under the Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (PHS Policy), which is under the provision of the Health Research Extension Act (HREA, 1985) (Public Law 99-158) [2]. The PHS Policy requires that all institutions using live vertebrate animals in PHS supported research must have an institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC) to oversee the care and use of its animals. These institutions are required to use the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Guide), as a primary standard for implementing their animal care and use programs. Compliance with the Animal Welfare Act Regulations (AWARs) is also an important requirement of the PHS Policy. Per the PHS policy, the IACUC must have at least five members including the chairperson, a veterinarian with direct or delegated program authority, a practicing scientist, a member whose primary concerns are in a nonscientific area, and a member who is not affiliated with the institution other than as a member of the IACUC. The AWAR requirements for IACUC composition are that it consists of at least three members including a veterinarian and a member not affiliated with the institution. In addition to ensuring ethical and humane use of animals, the IACUC, due to its structure and function, is uniquely positioned to contribute to the quality of scientific work performed at an institution [3]. Quality of scientific research output is supported by sound experimental design and strategy, rigorous and comprehensive evaluation criteria, responsible research practices, and adequate oversight and training. Additionally, many of the same factors that affect the quality of animal welfare may also impact the quality of scientific research. It is a well-known fact that healthy animals housed in optimal conditions yield the most reliable data, whereas compromised welfare negatively impacts physiology, immunology, and behavior of animals leading to skewed and misrepresented results [3,4]. Additionally, variables in animal care and health can affect repeatability and reproducibility of experiments, and standardization of practices within an animal care program can help reduce variability [4]. Factors that can be standardized to a certain extent include housing practices (lighting, temperature, food, bedding, noise levels, etc.), genetic background, animal source, and health status (disease status, gut microflora, etc.) [4]. While at an institutional level, responsible research is a broad concept encompassing everything from conflict of interest to reproducibility to data management, the conduct of day-today research practices in a reliable manner is what constitutes responsible research. The central role of IACUCs in research animal use and oversight helps it safeguard responsible animal research by ensuring ethical, scientifically sound, standardized practices in animal research. The various roles of the IACUC in responsible animal research are outlined in the chart below (Figure 1) and will be discussed further in this review.