Human-focused life sciences are moving from vision to implementation.
#betterscience is #humanrelevant
Huge thanks to all the brilliant participants π
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Registration for live-stream closes Monday 2nd Feb. On-demand recording will be available soon.
#betterscience is #humanrelevant
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The UK roadmap: it sounds good - but will it work? If the aim really is to replace animal experiments, then it will not work without much more attention to phase-out measures, particularly in the basic sciences. Read our blog:
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The Alliance for Human Relevant Science welcomes the government's roadmap to phase out animal testing. We are ready to help deliver and accelerate this vital transition. #betterscience #humanrelevant
www.humanrelevantscience.org/replacing-an...
π¨ The UK needs a clear plan to end animal testing. We want to see a roadmap that is detailed and action-focused.
βοΈ Sign the petition today: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/a-real-roadmap-to-phase-out-animal-testing
Film review: βHow to make drugs and feel great about everythingβ considers the science and ethics of drug development. Our verdict: Well worth watching and even funny!
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The time may come when we look back and realise that animal experiments have been a huge and costly distraction, a path we might have done better to completely avoid.
#betterscience
#humanrelevant safermedicines.org/blog_post/mi...
Azure and gray-green graphic with the following quote from an October 20, 2025 article in Nature by Herron et al.: ββTo take advantage of the opportunities that NAMs now present β and of the growing number of initiatives aimed at boosting the development and use of these approaches β changes are needed in how scientific journals, regulators and funders operate.β DOI: 10.1038/d41586-025-03344-6
π Don't miss this excellent commentary in @nature.com.
Nonanimal methods are revolutionizing research, yet many editors, reviewers, and funders still overlook their robustness and valueβleaving researchers struggling for recognition despite #NAMsβ potential to deliver better results. π§ͺ
Are you a researcher with an interest in human-focused #biomedical technologies? Join our upcoming Science+ meeting in London. You can also apply to present your poster at the meeting: royalsociety.org/science-even... @safermedicines.org
A brilliant paper by my brilliant colleague Pandora Pound, with a short blog to introduce it - an essential read! safermedicines.org/blog_post/ho...
Thanks Emily for this excellent thread π There's also a short introductory blog: safermedicines.org/blog_post/ho...
Graphic titled, βApplying Bourdieuβs concepts to displacing animal experimentation in academia.β Adapted from Pound 2025, DOI: 10.1016/j.namjnl.2025.10005. Four concepts for action are discussed: dilute dominant powers; disrupt existing habitus; rethink scientific capital; and fully comply with laws. In the background are images of crumpled paper, a photo of a rat, and a hand holding a megaphone.
In a powerful new article, Pandora Pound of @safermedicines.org uses sociologist Pierre Bourdieuβs ideas on power and legitimacy to ask why animal experimentation still dominates academiaβdespite scientific advances and increasing external pressure for change.
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#sociology #scipol #philsci π§ͺ
Most animals used in experimentation are still in academic settings.
Pound argues this isnβt due to scientific necessity, but because the enculturated paradigm is a powerful source of symbolic and economic capital, due to its history and systems of inertia.
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She explores how academics' "reluctance to relinquish their models" is a defensive tactic, given that "the animal research field is fully open to external forces and its autonomy and legitimacy are at risk as never before."
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Pound also calls for a rethink in how we talk about change.
Rather than using βreplacementβ (which still treats animal experimentation as the default), she suggests βdisplacementβ β a term that signals the intent to phase it out entirely.
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This shift in language matters.
βReplacementβ implies thereβs something that must be preserved.
βDisplacementβ reframes the goal: not to replicate animal models, but to move beyond them toward more innovative, human-relevant approaches.
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There's a lot to unpack here, some of which is summarized in the graphic above.
Sit down with a coffee or a cocktail this weekend and give it a full read.
π
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
The UK government promised to phase out animal testing. A promise isn't enough. We need an ambitious roadmap with firm deadlines, not more delays. Sign the petition demanding a real plan to bring UK science into the 21st century. you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/a-...
Sign and share this petition to make sure animal testing is REALLY phased out in the UK! #betterscience #humanrelevant you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/a-...
Defending animal research in the USA - our latest blog
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Will the UK government's forthcoming strategy to reduce the use of animals in science reflect the bold developments in the US?
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Patients would benefit from human-relevant science in place of preclinical animal tests that risk incorrect predictions of safety and efficacy. #betterscience #humanrelevant safermedicines.org/blog_post/on...
UK government needs to quickly up its game, or be left in the dirt by the forward-thinking US FDA, NIH and EPA, who now realise that #betterscience is #humanrelevant
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Vivodyne human tissues are making human-first drug testing a reality... yielding rich human data without relying on animal vivariums πhttps://www.contractpharma.com/exclusives/advantages-and-impact-of-fdas-plan-to-phase-out-animal-testing-for-mabs-and-other-drugs/
Experimental methods that donβt use animals, like tissue chips and computational models, lead to the development of safer and more effective therapies and pharmaceuticals.
#betterscience #humanrelevant
utahnewsdispatch.com/2025/04/16/k...
βThis is a lot easier than I thought!β We hear this often after our workshops. And it's true #organonchip doesn't need to be complicated as long as you start with the small questions & increase complexity with time. The video shows our Online Academy, an e-learning platform for learning #ooc tech.
[πππ° ππ₯π¨π ] Only ~10% of drugs have been tested for safety in pregnant women, risking unexpected side effects. In collaboration with esqLABs, Bayer & Placenta Lab we developed an #organonchip platform to study if small molecules can cross the blood-placenta-barrier. Read it here: shorturl.at/5gfpY
[πππ° ππ₯π¨π ] The PDAC-on-Chip β A New Dimension in Pancreatic Cancer Research. Read a summary of the most important findings of our recent study with the team of Prof. Dr. Nicole Teusch at the University of DΓΌsseldorf here: zurl.co/7pdot
#drugdevelopment #cancer #spheroids #preclinic
π the good news we all needed! FDA announces to replace animal testing with more effective, human-relevant methods including #organonchip. Below, we've summarized the most important points. Curious about organ models? We help researchers bridge the gap between 2D cell culture and animal models.
Organ models trump traditional 2D models for studying barrier function. They recreate the complex microenvironments of specific organs and allow for a more consistent and reproducible way of measuring TEER.
