Flemish-Brussels platform optimized for alternatives to animal testing | Inland

A few years ago, the two regions joined forces to set up a platform for scientists that brings together alternative methods for animal testing. RE-Place wants to promote the use of animal-free methods by making maximum efforts to share knowledge and by bringing experts from different institutions and research domains into contact with each other. The platform also acts as a central information point with up-to-date information on alternative methods. In time, this project should contribute to a structural reduction in the number of animal experiments.

The coordinators of the RE-Place project, Sciensano and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, have developed an online tool that has already collected 170 methods from different research domains and institutions. “By launching the new, improved version of the RE-Place platform, the available expertise can be gathered even more easily in Brussels and Flanders. This can now also be linked to specific research groups or organisations. The Flemish and Brussels regions therefore call on scientists to share their expertise as much as possible via the RE-Place platform.

“There are more and more alternatives to animal testing and Flanders can play a pioneering role in that area too. Although some animal testing still remains a necessary evil. The focus in our policy is on a thorough application of the ‘3R policy’: reduction, refinement, replacement”, says Minister Weyts. “We will continue to aim for a maximum reduction in the number of animal experiments.”

In Belgium, about half a million laboratory animals are used for scientific purposes every year. They are most often used in biomedical research into new therapies for diseases such as cancer. In addition, the use of laboratory animals is sometimes required by law, for example for the safety of medicines and vaccines.