FOR 2591:  Severity assessment in animal-based research

• Subject Area: Biology ; Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine ; Medicine
• Term: since 2017
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 321137804

The DFG Research Unit 2591, established in 2017, is an interdisciplinary consortium dedicated to developing comprehensive and validated methods for assessing the severity of procedures performed on laboratory animals in biomedical research. While severity assessment is required by EU legislation (EU-Directive 2010/63), there is no clear guidance on how it should be carried out. There is also a lack of evidence on the methods to be used and the classification into severity categories. By identifying objective parameters, including clinical, behavioural, physiological, biochemical, and imaging parameters, as well as routines to apply these parameters, the consortium aims at enabling evidence-based severity assessment that will foster evidence-based refinement and further development of the 3Rs. A key aspect of the consortium's research is the integration of data science approaches, such as artificial intelligence and complex algorithms. Contactless monitoring and automation methods, especially fostered by various video-based techniques, enable continuous and non-invasive assessment of these parameters in home-cage settings. These approaches play a crucial role in analysing and interpreting the multidimensional data collected from different parameters and have been used in the evaluation of refinement measures for, e.g., husbandry and analgesia. In the third funding period, the findings and developments will facilitate the generation of severity assessment frameworks, prediction of animal suffering, and, thereby, minimisation of pain and distress. For example, the consortium has developed the Relative Severity Assessment (RELSA) algorithm, which provides a holistic view of an animal's status by considering multiple sources of information. The consortium's objectives include synthesising the knowledge gained thus far, increasing participation and outreach, and translating research findings into routine practices. The research will focus on parameter combination, identification, and validation, further development of computational and refinement of traditional severity assessment, integration of technology, and stakeholder involvement. The consortium's work has considerable implications for animal welfare, experimental procedures, and ethical conduct in biomedical research. By disseminating their knowledge and recommendations to the scientific community, the public, and governing bodies, the consortium aims to promote evidence-based refinement measures and improve animal welfare in laboratory animal science.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• International Connection: Switzerland

Projects

• Assessment of distress and refinement in animal models for gastrointestinal diseases (Applicants Vollmar, Brigitte ;  Zechner, Ph.D., Dietmar )
• Automated measurement of stress scores in video recordings of laboratory animals (Applicant Merhof, Dorit )
• Coordination Funds (Applicant Bleich, André )
• Coordination Funds (Applicant Tolba, René H. )
• Coordination Funds (Applicant Bleich, André )
• Imaging in the context of 3R: chances and threats (Applicant Kiessling, Fabian )
• Leveraging data science to promote sustainable practices in severity assessment (Applicant Talbot, Steven )
• Physiological and behavioural signs of pain and wellbeing in mice (Applicant Jirkof, Paulin )
• Refining pain management for laboratory rodents: practical applicability, evaluation of robustness, and development of recommendations (Applicant Bankstahl, Marion )
• Robust detection and tracking of laboratory animals in large-scale home-cage video recordings (Applicants Stegmaier, Johannes ;  Tolba, René H. )
• Rodent models in psychiatry: severity assessment and potential measures for refinement and reduction (Applicants Gass, Peter ;  Mallien, Anne Stephanie )
• Rodent monitoring and vital signs analysis using camera-based technologies: exploring alternative methods for assessing severity (Applicants Barbosa Pereira, Carina ;  Czaplik, Michael )
• Severity assessment and refinement in animal models of kidney ischemia–reperfusion injury, liver resection, and liver transplantation in rats and pigs (Applicant Ernst, Lisa )
• Severity assessment and refinement in animal models of kidney ischemia–reperfusion injury, liver-resection, and transplantation in rats and pigs (Applicant Tolba, René H. )
• Severity assessment from an animal's point of view (Applicant Lewejohann, Lars )
• Severity assessment in animal models for colitis and surgery – validation, translation and refinement (Applicant Bleich, André )
• Severity assessment in neuroscientific research: generalisability of multidimensional approaches and application to refinement (Applicant Potschka, Heidrun )
• Severity assessment using a choice-based relative ranking system (Applicants Gail, Alexander ;  Pfefferle, Dana ;  Treue, Stefan )
• Strengthening the evidence-base in severity assessment by systematic literature analyses (Applicants Bleich, André ;  Potschka, Heidrun )
• Testing of unwanted side effects of noncoding RNA oligonucleotide therapeutics in small and large animal models (Applicant Thum, Ph.D., Thomas )
• Validation of evidence-based severity assessment and refinement in neuroscience animal models with functional neurosurgery and intracranial tumours (Applicant Schwabe, Ph.D., Kerstin )
• Validation of severity assessment and refinement in neuroscience rat models of subarachnoid hemorrhage and cerebrovascular research (Applicant Lindauer, Ute )

• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. André Bleich