New project promotes the acceptance and implementation of animal-free testing methods.

Contributing to the transition towards animal-free innovations

Over the past few years, many innovative animal-free models have been developed to assess the safety of chemicals. However, these models are still rarely used in legislation and regulation. As a result, animal testing remains the standard for many mandatory safety tests.

Milou Dingemans, Chief Science Officer and Principal Scientist at KWR: “Reliable and accepted animal-free methods are also important for assessing chemical contaminants in water. We look forward to being part of the learning community within the RESPOND3R project, where researchers, end users, industry, regulators and other stakeholders will exchange knowledge, experiences and insights throughout the project.”

Timeline and project approach

Over the next five years, the RESPOND3R consortium, led by Professor Mirjam Luijten and Professor Anne Kienhuis of the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), will work on validating animal-free testing methods. The aim is to make these methods suitable for use in the regulatory safety assessment of chemicals.

As part of the project, advanced cell models will be investigated step by step. Researchers will assess, among other things, the reliability, predictive value and applicability of these models. They will also share their knowledge with national and international regulatory authorities. In this way, they aim to ensure that the methods can eventually be incorporated into official guidelines for safety testing.

RESPOND3R will thus contribute to better protection of human health and the environment, fewer animal experiments and greater confidence in innovative animal-free technologies. By sharing knowledge, collaborating and providing training, the consortium aims to accelerate the acceptance and application of these methods.

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

RESPOND3R brings together expertise and experience from a range of scientific disciplines and societal sectors. Toxicologists, social scientists, data scientists, civil society organisations and companies are working together to accelerate the practical implementation of animal-free innovations.

The consortium partners form a learning community in which researchers, end users, companies, regulators and other stakeholders exchange knowledge, experiences and insights throughout the project. This collaboration not only promotes scientific development but also increases the societal impact of the project and the likelihood that the methods developed will actually be put into practice.

Read this news item by NWA  and this news item by NWO.

About the consortium

The consortium consists of the following partners: the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Utrecht University, HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, Leiden University, Maastricht University, Wageningen University & Research, Charles River, Ombion, Stichting Proefdiervrij, KWR Water B.V., Unilever, InSphero AG, Axion Biosystems and the Institute for In Vitro Sciences.

Go to the project page.

About NWA Do-ReACT

NWA Do-ReACT is a thematic programme of the Dutch National Research Agenda (Nationale Wetenschapsagenda, NWA), implemented by ZonMw in collaboration with the Dutch Research Council (NWO). The programme is an initiative of the Dutch ministries of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW), Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN), and Education, Culture and Science (OCW).

More about NWA Do-ReACT.