{"id":245,"date":"2026-05-03T22:11:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T22:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/samariacellbio\/?p=245"},"modified":"2026-05-03T22:28:02","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T22:28:02","slug":"scientific-literacy-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/samariacellbio\/2026\/05\/03\/scientific-literacy-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientific literacy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Use of Animal Models in Science<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Samaria Hampton<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Old Dominion University<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biol 293: Cell Biology<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christina Steel<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many years, animal models have been a fundamental part of biomedical research, providing critical knowledge of the efficacy of treatments, the causes of diseases, and the safety of medications. Animals have contributed to modern medicine by helping create life-saving medications, vaccines, and surgical procedures. Nevertheless, the utilization of animals in scientific research also raises major ethical and practical debates. As organizations like the FDA, or the Food and Drug Administration, aim to reduce their dependence on animal models, it is crucial to carefully and critically analyze both the advantages and disadvantages of experimenting on animals. Animal models have an important yet flawed role in biomedical research because, while they provide essential data, they also present ethical, moral, and scientific boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One advantage of animal models is their capacity to mimic numerous aspects of human physiology and diseases. Humans and animals, especially other mammals, share biological processes such as complex organ systems, metabolic pathways, and immune system responses. This resemblance allows scientists to examine disease progression in a living organism that mirrors various human biological processes, which is beneficial for understanding multi-system connections, such as those seen in diabetes, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular diseases (Mukherjee et al., 2022). Without these complex systems, studies conducted solely in vitro are unable to fully capture the interaction of numerous physiological reactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another advantage of animal models is their role in medication\/drug development and safety testing. Animal studies provide valuable pre-clinical data on toxicology, pharmacokinetics, and effectiveness in the early stages of clinical research before treatments are available to people. These statistics help regulatory agencies in determining if potential medications are safe to continue to human trials and enable researchers to determine the optimal doses (Mukherjee et al., 2022). In this sense, animal testing acts as a safeguard to protect the people participating in clinical studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, animal models facilitate controlled experimental manipulation, which is not morally or ethically possible for human subjects. Researchers are able to accurately regulate genetic backgrounds, experimental factors, and environmental conditions, which improves reproducibility and validity. For instance, genetically altered mice can be used to study specific gene functions and disease pathways, which provides previously unattainable information (Mukherjee et al., 2022). This control helps researchers isolate the effects of specific factors on disease mechanisms and treatment responses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lastly, the historical significance of animal models to medical advancements emphasizes their scientific value. Many surgical developments, vaccines, and treatments are the result of animal research, which has saved many lives. Despite the availability of other methods, animal models play an important role in improving biomedical research and public health (Guimar\u00e3es, 2025). These accomplishments may justify the continued, yet more rigid, use of animal models in current scientific contexts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even when considering their benefits, animal models also have clear limits. One disadvantage is the translational predictability; animal experiment results often do not translate to human clinical settings, resulting in costly errors during medical development. Biological differences in immune response, gene regulation, and metabolism between different species could cause major disparities, limiting the value of animal methods when anticipating human responses (Nesari, 2023).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another barrier is the biological distinction between humans and animals. Even in mammals, physiological and genetic differences can influence how diseases manifest and respond to treatment. Rodents, for example, are widely used in research because they are easy to breed and handle, yet they do not adequately represent human disease traits and drug interactions (Mukherjee et al., 2022).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The third major constraint of animal experimentation is the moral and ethical concerns. Animal experimentation often features distress, pain, and euthanasia, which poses ethical worries regarding the treatment of the animals. Ethical structures like the 3Rs, replacement, reduction, and refinement, aim to minimize animal suffering, but they cannot completely eradicate it (Nesari, 2023). The moral basis regarding the exploitation of sentient animals for the benefit of mankind continues to be a debate in the public and scientific communities, especially when other alternatives exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lastly, animal research is resource-intensive and costly. Sustaining animal facilities, breeding specific breeds, and obtaining regulatory permission all require a large amount of time and money. Nesari (2023) notes that these expenses can slow research advancement and take funding from developing alternative methods, including computerized modeling, organ-on-a-chip systems, and advanced in vitro techniques that could provide data more relevant to humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Approach Methodologies, also known as NAMs, are rapidly revolutionizing biomedical research by offering innovative and human-relevant alternatives to existing animal testing. These methods include 3D organoids, microfluidic organ-on-chip devices, and computer modeling techniques that are built from human-derived information\/data. In contrast to animal models, which tend to fail in accurately predicting human biological responses, NAMs are engineered to better simulate human physiology and enhance the reliability of pharmacological testing. Recent articles in the journal Lab Animal<\/em> suggest that regulatory agencies, such as the United States Food and Drug Administration, also known as the FDA, are progressively adopting these approaches, signaling a broader transition towards minimizing the use of animal testing in research (Harrison, 2025). Although NAMs provide promising developments in research, they also have limitations that need to be acknowledged when evaluating their effectiveness in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The creation of organoids using induced pluripotent stem cells, also called iPSCs, is one of the most significant components of NAMs. iPSCs are adult, human cells that have been reprogrammed to a pluripotent form, allowing them to differentiate into numerous types of specialized cells. These cells are able to autonomously organize into organoids, which are 3D cellular forms that replicate the shape and function of human organs. Organoids present a more physiologically comparable environment than conventional 2D cell cultures, as they facilitate complex cell-to-cell interactions and spatial organization. Kirkby et al., (2025) propose that organoids made from human stem cells operate as strong tools for modeling development, pharmacological responses, and disease processes because of their ability to imitate critical structural and functional characteristics of real human tissue. Therefore, they are particularly useful for studying diseases that are challenging to mimic in animal models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond organoids, microfluidic organ-on-chip systems enhance the physiological significance of NAMs by simulating varying biological conditions. These systems have tiny channels lined with living human cells, which promote regulated fluid flow that mimics blood and the mechanical forces the tissues in the human body experience. Organ-on-chip technologies can incorporate multiple cell types and reproduce interactions among different tissues, which offers a more authentic representation of human organ function. Harrison (2025) suggests that these systems can emulate tissue-to-tissue interactions and physiological responses in ways that are impossible for animal models, especially when examining drug absorption, toxicity, and metabolism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Computational models and AI also have an important role in NAMs, specifically in toxicity prediction. These techniques use large datasets derived from biological experiments, chemical structures, and clinical data to estimate the interactions of drugs within the human body. Machine learning algorithms can identify trends in these datasets and make predictions regarding toxicity, particularly outcomes such as liver damage and skin hypersensitivity. Ash et al., (2018) illustrate that AI-driven models can surpass traditional animal testing methods in certain toxicological projections by examining extensive datasets and finding relationships that may not be obvious through experimental methods alone. Computer methods offer a more scalable, rapid, and morally just alternative to animal-based research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The increasing efficacy of NAMs has contributed to a broader shift, especially within organizations such as the FDA. Ash et al., (2025) highlighted the increasing momentum for the incorporation of non-animal methods in drug development and safety evaluations. This change reflects advancements in ethical considerations and scientific progress, since NAMs provide the opportunity to eliminate animal testing while improving the predictive precision of preclinical testing. The regulatory endorsement of NAMs is an important advancement in the modernization of biomedical research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even with these developments, NAMs still have limitations. A key limitation is their inability to entirely replicate the intricacy of the human body. Although organoids and organ-on-chip systems can copy singular organs and tissues, they usually do not have the integrated interactions between various organ systems. Reproducing complex physiological processes, including endocrine signaling, immune responses, and inter-organ communication, in isolated systems is challenging (Harrison, 2025). Consequently, NAMs may not be able to fully depict how a disease or drug impacts the whole organism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

References<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

FDA pushes to replace animal testing. (2025). Nature Biotechnology<\/em>, 43<\/em>(5), 655\u2013655. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41587-025-02690-0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guimar\u00e3es, A. (2025). Are animal models necessary? exploring (dis)advantages and alternatives. European Journal of Neuroscience<\/em>, 61<\/em>(1). https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/ejn.16651<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harrison, C. (2025). New approach methodologies gain momentum, providing human-relevant alternatives to animal models. Lab Animal<\/em>, 54<\/em>(10), 250\u2013253. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41684-025-01619-z<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kirkeby, A., Main, H., & Carpenter, M. (2025). Pluripotent stem-cell-derived therapies in clinical trial: A 2025 update. Cell Stem Cell<\/em>, 32<\/em>(2), 329\u2013331. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.stem.2025.01.003<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mukherjee, P., Roy, S., Ghosh, D., & Nandi, S. K. (2022). Role of animal models in biomedical research: A review. Laboratory Animal Research<\/em>, 38<\/em>(1). https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s42826-022-00128-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nesari, T. (2023). Newer approaches and alternatives to animal models in biomedical research. International Journal of Ayurveda Research<\/em>, 4<\/em>(4), 193. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4103\/ijar.ijar_167_23<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Use of Animal Models in Science Samaria Hampton Old Dominion University Biol 293: Cell Biology Dr. Christina Steel For many years, animal models have been a fundamental part of biomedical research, providing critical knowledge of the efficacy of treatments, the causes of diseases, and the safety of medications. Animals have contributed to modern medicine… <\/p>\n

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