Transformational Medical Technologies, a component of the Department of Defense, funds the development of medical countermeasures to protect warfighters against potential biothreats such as emerging infectious agents and toxins and future genetically engineered biological weapons. Because these pathogens are potentially lethal or cause debilitating diseases in humans, it is ethically impermissible to test the effectiveness of medica... More >>

The publication of research articles involving animal studies, central to many disciplines in science and biomedicine, should include adequate and specific information to enable other researchers to interpret, evaluate, and reproduce a reported study. Considerable variation in the amount of information required by scientific publications and reported by authors undermines this basic scientific need; insufficient information does not facilitat... More >>

This seventh update to the National Research Council's Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals integrates recently published data, scientific principles, and expert opinion to recommend practices for the humane care and use of animals in research, testing, and teaching. The Guide is an internationally accepted primary reference on animal care for the scientific community. Previous editions have served as the basis for accreditation o... More >>

Random source dogs and cats -- those that come from the general population, rather than being bred specifically for biomedical research -- can be valuable models for studying certain types of diseases. Dealers who buy and sell random source animals, rather than breed them (known as Class B dealers), are licensed by the US Department of Agriculture to ensure animal welfare and appropriate acquisition of the animals, but without adequat... More >>

Minimizing and alleviating pain in laboratory animals without compromising the methodological integrity of a research project is important both ethically and legally. Fortunately, recent scientific progress has expanded the understanding of pain and increased the ability to prevent and alleviate it in laboratory animals. This report, developed by a committee convened by the National Research Council at the request of the New Jersey Associatio... More >>