UK organisations release statistics for use of animals in research in 2023

The statistics for the University of Cambridge are available on the website as part of our ongoing commitment to transparency and openness around the use of animals in research.

This coincides with the publication of the Home Office’s report on the statistics of scientific procedures on living animals in Great Britain in 2023.

The ten organisations carried out 1,435,009 procedures, 54% (over half) of the 2,681,686 procedures carried out on animals for scientific research in Great Britain in 2023. Of these 1,435,009 procedures, more than 99% were carried out on mice, fish and rats and 82% were classified as causing pain equivalent to, or less than, an injection. 

The ten organisations are listed below alongside the total number of procedures they carried out in 2023. This is the ninth consecutive year that organisations have come together to publicise their collective statistics and examples of their research.

In total, sixty-nine organisations have voluntarily published their 2023 animal research statistics.

All organisations are committed to the ethical framework called the ‘3Rs’ of replacement, reduction and refinement. This means avoiding or replacing the use of animals where possible, minimising the number of animals used per experiment and optimising the experience of the animals to improve animal welfare. However, as institutions expand and conduct more research, the total number of animals used can rise even if fewer animals are used per study. 

All organisations listed are signatories to the Concordat on Openness on Animal Research in the UK, which commits them to being more open about the use of animals in scientific, medical and veterinary research in the UK. More than 125 organisations have signed the Concordat, including UK universities, medical research charities, research funders, learned societies and commercial research organisations.

Wendy Jarrett, Chief Executive of Understanding Animal Research, which developed the Concordat on Openness, said:

“Animal research remains a small but vital part of the quest for new medicines, vaccines and treatments for humans and animals. Alternative methods are gradually being phased in, but, until we have sufficient reliable alternatives available, it is important that organisations that use animals in research maintain the public’s trust in them. By providing this level of information about the numbers of animals used, and the experience of those animals, as well as details of the medical breakthroughs that derive from this research, these Concordat signatories are helping the public to make up their own minds about how they feel about the use of animals in scientific research in Great Britain.”   

Professor Anna Philpott, Head of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Cambridge, said:

“Cambridge research is changing how we understand health and ageing, and how we treat disease. Animal research continues to play a small but vital role in this work and in the development of ground-breaking new medical devices and drug treatments. We are committed to using animals only where there is no alternative as a means of making progress.”

Story adapted from a press release by Understanding Animal Research.

CASE STUDY: Egging on vital research

The actin cytoskeleton is a system of long filaments, vital in embryonic development. Problems with its control have been linked to the kidney problems experienced by patients with the rare conditions called Lowe syndrome and Dent disease 2. But since the actin cytoskeleton is in all the cells of the body it has been very difficult to translate an understanding of it into a drug treatment.

Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow Dr Jenny Gallop at the University of Cambridge has created a simpler version of the actin cytoskeleton that she can study in the lab. A key component is cytoplasm extracted from frog eggs.

Gallop’s lab keeps around 120 female frogs that are induced to lay eggs in a way that matches their natural cycles. This requires a hormone injection - just a mild discomfort to the frogs - every three to four months to make them ovulate. Over time, Gallop has refined her methods so that only half the original number of frogs are now needed.

This has enabled her to understand what might be going wrong in Lowe syndrome and Dent disease 2 – and realise that an existing drug might be able to help. Alpelisib has already been approved to safely treat breast cancer, and Gallop is now applying for approval to test whether it works to treat the kidney problems in patients with Dent disease 2.

Repurposing an existing drug means the long drug-development process has already been done. Conversations with people affected by the diseases inspire Gallop’s team to keep going. And the frogs have played a vital role in this decade-long journey.

Read the full story here