World Day for Laboratory Animals
On the occasion of World Day for Laboratory Animals, members of the ECN have also participated in this initiative. We would like to emphasize that, despite significant progress in developing alternative methods, not all animal experiments can currently be replaced.
110 Scientists Clearly Affirm Their Commitment to Animal Research: “We Conduct Animal Experiments!”
On the occasion of the International Day for Laboratory Animals on April 24, 2025, 110 leading scientists from Germany are publicly affirming their commitment to animal research. Under the joint statement “We conduct animal experiments!”, they emphasize: Without animal experiments, medical progress and the development of new therapies for many diseases would not be possible. The initiative is organized by Professor Dr. Frank Kirchhoff of Saarland University, a board member of the German Neuroscience Society.
“Animal experiments are indispensable for basic research,” stresses Prof. Kirchhoff. “At the same time, we consider the integration of cell culture and organoid models into our research programs necessary and are already practicing this extensively.”
The signatories come from research institutions at German universities, the Max Planck Society, the Leibniz Association, and the Helmholtz Association. They hold leading positions in numerous scientific societies - as presidents, board members, or spokespersons - such as the German Neuroscience Society, the German Society for Neurosurgery, the German Society for Cell Biology, the Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the German Physiological Society, and many other professional associations. Many have received prestigious awards, including the Leibniz Prize of the German Research Foundation (DFG) or various European Research Council (ERC) grants. As members of academies such as the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, state academies of sciences, or the Academia Europaea, they significantly shape the German scientific landscape.
The researchers emphasize that animal experiments are conducted under the strictest ethical and legal standards and remain indispensable for investigating diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes, or rare genetic disorders and for developing innovative therapies. Their common goal is responsible research for the benefit of both humans and animals.
The initiative is accompanied by a four-page document outlining important discoveries made through animal research, as well as a complete list of the 110 signatories, including their personal statements and short biographies. “With our initiative, we complement the educational work of the information campaign ‘Understanding Animal Experiments’, where, in addition to extensive information on animal research, personal statements can also be found,” says Kirchhoff.
Source: Press Release for the International Day for Laboratory Animals, April 24, 2025
Professor Dr. Frank Kirchhoff
(on behalf of the scientists in basic life sciences research)
Charité publishes number of laboratory animals for 2024
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