ANIMAL ETHICS

Institutional statement on the use of research animals

“Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia” (IBV-CSIC, Biomedicine Institute of Valencia) has joined the agreement on Openness on Animal Research, promoted from the Federation of Scientific Societies in Spain (COSCE), with the collaboration of the European Association of Research Animals (EARA), and launched on 20 September 2016.

We are convinced that animal experimentation plays a fundamental role in the discover of the underlying biological mechanisms of disease, and in the developing of medical treatments. Without research in animals, we would not have most of the medicines, antibiotics, vaccines and surgical techniques that are applied nowadays in human and veterinary medicine.

An important part of the research undertaken at the IBV-CSIC aims at contributing to the improvement of human health and wellbeing, is carried out thanks to the use of animals. Our animal experimental research focuses on rare diseases, on metabolic and dermatologic pathologies, understand the mechanisms related to aging and neuronal death, and discover molecular mechanisms of neuronal differentiation and proliferation of stem cells. IBV-CSIC inform to the Society about all of its research projects, including those involving animal experimentation, through the annual IBV Research Outcomes Conference and the guided tour cycle “conCiencia Sé”, aimed at publicize the work carried out in the research institutes of the Valencian Community between the students of second year of Bachillerato and Higher Education Formative Cycles.

The welfare of animals used for research purposes is of paramount relevance for our Institute, and also the strict compliance and respect to the current legislation on the protection of animals used in research and for other scientific purposes, including education. Our aim is to achieve the highest standards in animal welfare, not only from the point of view of our moral responsibility on them, but also because we are convinced we could not achieve research excellence without proper animal welfare. Our experiments with animals follow the legal standard and are assessed by an Ethics Committee on Animal Experimentation that promotes the use of alternative methods, the reduction in the number of animals used and the refinement in the experimental protocols applied. Not a single research project requiring the use of animals could start without the appropriate and required Ethics assessment and the eventual authorization from the competent authorities.

IBV-CSIC also ensures that the personnel involved in animal care and researchers do have the adequate education and training and the required professional skills, and that all resources are provided to properly keep research animals in terms of facilities, husbandry, wellbeing and veterinary care.