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Over the last two years, representatives from the UK’s stroke research community have been working, in a collaboration led by the NC3Rs, to improve the welfare and increase the scientific value of rodent models of stroke. The findings from the collaboration - The IMPROVE Guidelines (Ischaemia Models: Procedural Refinements Of in Vivo Experiments)  have been published in the Journal of Cerebral Bloodflow and Metabolism.

The MRC ethics series document ‘Good research practice: principles and guidelines’ sets out the MRC’s expectations for MRC research units and institutes, MRC university units, MRC centres and MRC grant holders in the form of principles, guidelines and standards to foster good research practice in all MRC-funded research.

FRAME is dedicated to the development of new and valid methods that will replace the need for laboratory animals in medical and scientific research, education, and testing. Where the use of animals is currently necessary, FRAME supports the reduction of numbers involved to an unavoidable minimum and refinement of experimental procedures to minimise any suffering caused. The E-learning resource of FRAME has been set up to provide teachers, school children, students and general supporters with information about the different areas of animal experimentation and with specific resources as to how it can be reduced, refined or replaced. 

Guiding principles on good practice for Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Bodies (2015) (PDF 1.76MB). Developed and published jointly by the RSPCA and the Laboratory Animal Science Association (LASA), this resource aims to help in the efficient and effective operation of local animal welfare and ethical review bodies.

The Medicines Evaluation Board assesses and monitors the efficacy, risks and quality of human and veterinary medicines, and the safety of novel foods for human consumption.

The Interspecies Database helps researchers to make an optimal choice of species and strain of the animal model, which is essential for efficient extrapolation of animal data to humans or other animals. Thee database has initially been developed by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports. It is offered by the 3Rs-Centre ULS in collaboration with the RIVM.