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Editorial
. 2020 Sep 21;30(18):R1014-R1018.
doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.08.030. Epub 2020 Aug 10.

How the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the necessity of animal research

Lisa Genzel  1 , Roger Adan  2 , Anton Berns  3 , Jeroen J J P van den Beucken  4 , Arjan Blokland  5 , Erik H W G M Boddeke  6 , Willy M Bogers  7 , Ronald Bontrop  7 , R Bulthuis  8 , Teun Bousema  4 , Hans Clevers  9 , Tineke C J J Coenen  10 , Anne-Marie van Dam  11 , Peter M T Deen  12 , K W van Dijk  10 , Bart J L Eggen  6 , Ype Elgersma  13 , Izel Erdogan  4 , Bernhard Englitz  12 , J Martje Fentener van Vlissingen  13 , Susanne la Fleur  14 , Ron Fouchier  13 , Carlos P Fitzsimons  15 , Wilbert Frieling  16 , Bart Haagmans  13 , Balthasar A Heesters  11 , Marloes J A G Henckens  4 , Sander Herfst  13 , Elly Hol  2 , Daniel van den Hove  5 , Marien I de Jonge  4 , Jos Jonkers  17 , Leo A B Joosten  4 , Andries Kalsbeek  18 , Maarten Kamermans  14 , Harm H Kampinga  19 , Martien J Kas  20 , J Aap Keijer  21 , Sander Kersten  21 , Amanda J Kiliaan  4 , Taco W A Kooij  4 , Sander Kooijman  10 , Werner J H Koopman  4 , Aniko Korosi  15 , Harm J Krugers  15 , Thijs Kuiken  13 , Steven A Kushner  13 , Jan A M Langermans  22 , Heidi M B Lesscher  23 , Paul J Lucassen  15 , Esther Lutgens  11 , Mihai G Netea  24 , Lucas P J J Noldus  12 , Jos W M van der Meer  4 , Frank J Meye  2 , Joram D Mul  15 , Kees van Oers  25 , Jocelien D A Olivier  20 , R Jeroen Pasterkamp  2 , Ingrid H C H M Philippens  7 , Jos Prickaerts  5 , B J A Pollux  21 , Patrick C N Rensen  10 , Jacco van Rheenen  3 , Ronald P van Rij  4 , Laila Ritsma  10 , Barry H G Rockx  13 , Benno Roozendaal  4 , Evert M van Schothorst  21 , K Stittelaar  26 , Norbert Stockhofe  27 , Dick F Swaab  18 , Rik L de Swart  13 , Louk J M J Vanderschuren  23 , Taco J de Vries  11 , Femke de Vrij  13 , Richard van Wezel  12 , Corette J Wierenga  23 , Maximilian Wiesmann  4 , Ingo Willuhn  14 , Chris I de Zeeuw  28 , Judith R Homberg  29
Affiliations
Editorial

How the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the necessity of animal research

Lisa Genzel et al. Curr Biol. .

Erratum in

  • How the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the necessity of animal research.
    Genzel L, Adan R, Berns A, van den Beucken JJJP, Blokland A, Boddeke EHWGM, Bogers WM, Bontrop R, Bulthuis R, Bousema T, Clevers H, Coenen TCJJ, van Dam AM, Deen PMT, van Dijk KW, Eggen BJL, Elgersma Y, Erdogan I, Englitz B, Fentener van Vlissingen JM, la Fleur S, Fouchier R, Fitzsimons CP, Frieling W, Haagmans B, Heesters BA, Henckens MJAG, Herfst S, Hol E, van den Hove D, de Jonge MI, Jonkers J, Joosten LAB, Kalsbeek A, Kamermans M, Kampinga HH, Kas MJ, Keijer J, Kersten S, Kiliaan AJ, Kooij TWA, Kooijman S, Koopman WJH, Korosi A, Krugers HJ, Kuiken T, Kushner SA, Langermans JAM, Lesscher HMB, Lucassen PJ, Lutgens E, Netea MG, Noldus LPJJ, van der Meer JWM, Meye FJ, Mul JD, van Oers K, Olivier JDA, Pasterkamp RJ, Philippens IHCHM, Prickaerts J, Pollux BJA, Rensen PCN, van Rheenen J, van Rij RP, Ritsma L, Rockx BHG, Roozendaal B, van Schothorst EM, Stittelaar K, Stockhofe N, Swaab DF, de Swart RL, Vanderschuren LJMJ, de Vries TJ, de Vrij F, van Wezel R, Wierenga CJ, Wiesmann M, Willuhn I, de Zeeuw CI, Homberg JR. Genzel L, et al. Curr Biol. 2020 Nov 2;30(21):4328. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.10.033. Curr Biol. 2020. PMID: 33142090 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

Abstract

Recently, a petition was offered to the European Commission calling for an immediate ban on animal testing. Although a Europe-wide moratorium on the use of animals in science is not yet possible, there has been a push by the non-scientific community and politicians for a rapid transition to animal-free innovations. Although there are benefits for both animal welfare and researchers, advances on alternative methods have not progressed enough to be able to replace animal research in the foreseeable future. This trend has led first and foremost to a substantial increase in the administrative burden and hurdles required to make timely advances in research and treatments for human and animal diseases. The current COVID-19 pandemic clearly highlights how much we actually rely on animal research. COVID-19 affects several organs and systems, and the various animal-free alternatives currently available do not come close to this complexity. In this Essay, we therefore argue that the use of animals is essential for the advancement of human and veterinary health.

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Figure 1
Figure 1
Research model for pathogenic mechanism and development of therapeutic interactions. Alternatives and animal models are developed based on similarity in mechanisms and drug effects in humans and models. The interaction between disease, alternatives and animal models has a positive effect on the refinement and reduction of the animal models and unraveling the underlying pathogenic mechanisms. Due to the complexity of most diseases, validation of candidate treatments can only be performed by the use of animal models.
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