Navigating Uncertainties: How to Assess Welfare and Harm in Genetically Altered Animals Responsibly—A Practical Guideline
The use of animals in research requires careful ethical consideration of whether the burden on the animals is justified. As one important part of the project evaluation, a harm–benefit analysis (HBA) must be carried out in order to approve projects in line with the EU Directive 2010/63/EU. This impl...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-05-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/5/857 |
| _version_ | 1797567874292776960 |
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| author | Anne Zintzsch Elena Noe Herwig Grimm |
| author_facet | Anne Zintzsch Elena Noe Herwig Grimm |
| author_sort | Anne Zintzsch |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The use of animals in research requires careful ethical consideration of whether the burden on the animals is justified. As one important part of the project evaluation, a harm–benefit analysis (HBA) must be carried out in order to approve projects in line with the EU Directive 2010/63/EU. This implies that harms and benefits must be assessed prospectively beforehand in order to weigh them. Although there are different methods of weighing, it is clear that an assessment of prospective harms and benefits is a precondition for any weighing procedure. In this context, projects that use genetically altered (GA) lines raise new issues. A unique challenge when using GA lines is the significant lack of knowledge in this context, making it difficult and sometimes impossible to estimate harm prospectively with sufficient certainty, since it is not predictable what sort of harm—if at all—the animals are going to experience. Therefore, this contribution aims to deal with the challenges of harm assessment in GA animals and their implications for welfare assessment and the HBA. A practical guideline is presented herein to serve as guidance for relevant harm factors and address the main challenges, particularly when dealing with uncertainties in the process of HBA. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:48:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-56f523527e904960b3df0aae4cc5289a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:48:35Z |
| publishDate | 2020-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-56f523527e904960b3df0aae4cc5289a2023-11-20T00:34:47ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152020-05-0110585710.3390/ani10050857Navigating Uncertainties: How to Assess Welfare and Harm in Genetically Altered Animals Responsibly—A Practical GuidelineAnne Zintzsch0Elena Noe1Herwig Grimm2Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, AustriaMesserli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University Vienna, University Vienna, 1010 Vienna, AustriaMesserli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University Vienna, University Vienna, 1010 Vienna, AustriaThe use of animals in research requires careful ethical consideration of whether the burden on the animals is justified. As one important part of the project evaluation, a harm–benefit analysis (HBA) must be carried out in order to approve projects in line with the EU Directive 2010/63/EU. This implies that harms and benefits must be assessed prospectively beforehand in order to weigh them. Although there are different methods of weighing, it is clear that an assessment of prospective harms and benefits is a precondition for any weighing procedure. In this context, projects that use genetically altered (GA) lines raise new issues. A unique challenge when using GA lines is the significant lack of knowledge in this context, making it difficult and sometimes impossible to estimate harm prospectively with sufficient certainty, since it is not predictable what sort of harm—if at all—the animals are going to experience. Therefore, this contribution aims to deal with the challenges of harm assessment in GA animals and their implications for welfare assessment and the HBA. A practical guideline is presented herein to serve as guidance for relevant harm factors and address the main challenges, particularly when dealing with uncertainties in the process of HBA.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/5/857genetically altered animalswelfare assessmentuncertaintyseverity classificationharm-benefit analysis3RsAGENT |
| spellingShingle | Anne Zintzsch Elena Noe Herwig Grimm Navigating Uncertainties: How to Assess Welfare and Harm in Genetically Altered Animals Responsibly—A Practical Guideline Animals genetically altered animals welfare assessment uncertainty severity classification harm-benefit analysis 3RsAGENT |
| title | Navigating Uncertainties: How to Assess Welfare and Harm in Genetically Altered Animals Responsibly—A Practical Guideline |
| title_full | Navigating Uncertainties: How to Assess Welfare and Harm in Genetically Altered Animals Responsibly—A Practical Guideline |
| title_fullStr | Navigating Uncertainties: How to Assess Welfare and Harm in Genetically Altered Animals Responsibly—A Practical Guideline |
| title_full_unstemmed | Navigating Uncertainties: How to Assess Welfare and Harm in Genetically Altered Animals Responsibly—A Practical Guideline |
| title_short | Navigating Uncertainties: How to Assess Welfare and Harm in Genetically Altered Animals Responsibly—A Practical Guideline |
| title_sort | navigating uncertainties how to assess welfare and harm in genetically altered animals responsibly a practical guideline |
| topic | genetically altered animals welfare assessment uncertainty severity classification harm-benefit analysis 3RsAGENT |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/5/857 |
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