The largest funder of biomedical research in the world is taking steps to integrate alternatives into normal laboratory use. In a statement released this month, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli spoke about the agency’s new commitment to spur the development and use of non-animal methods in the research it funds, noting the great potential of alternatives.

“We…are seeing dramatic leaps in technologies that allow researchers to use complementary, non-animal-based approaches to study biological functions and human disease,” she said. “These so called ‘novel alternative methods’ or NAMs…hold tremendous promise when applied to the appropriate scientific inquiry.”

After assessing the challenges and opportunities that NAMs bring, a committee that advises the NIH Director recommended that the agency prioritize investing in the development and use of alternatives in biomedical research. This effort will create an infrastructure for collaboration, sharing data, and the resources to do so, as well as invest in training and facilitate greater use of NAMs to study human disease and biological systems. Additionally, the Complement Animal Research in Experimentation program will help accelerate the development, standardization, validation, and use of alternatives that more accurately model human physiology and can replace animal models.

In accepting these recommendations, Bertagnolli stated that the NIH is “committed to continuing its investment in building a robust suite of tools for researchers to study human biology and disease.”

The NIH has been engaged in alternatives development and use in toxicology testing for many years, but basic biomedical research is dominated by animal models, so it is an exciting shift towards a wider acceptance of non-animal methods in science as a whole.