Policy

Animals containing human material

Summary| Working Group Membership| Review Group Membership| Project Downloads

The Academy of Medical Sciences published a report examining the use of ‘Animals containing human material’ (ACHM) in scientific research in July 2011. The report was prepared by a working group, chaired by Professor Martin Bobrow CBE FRS FMedSci.
The study was supported by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ Sciencewise Expert Resource Centre, the Department of Health, Medical Research Council, and Wellcome Trust. A report synopsis has been prepared by Dr Geoff Watts FMedSci.

Animals containing human tissues, cells or genetic information are used to refine research methods, creating animal models that better represent human disease, and to develop and produce new therapeutics. The study examined the scientific, social, ethical, safety and regulatory aspects of research involving animals containing human material. The report proposes that experiments involving such animals should be classified into three categories, to help determine the level of regulatory scrutiny to which they should be subject. Amongst its recommendations are that:

• The Home Office ensures that a national expert body with a duty to advise on the use of animals containing human material in research is put in place.
  
• The Home Office and the Department of Health work closely together, and with other bodies where appropriate, to ensure that there are no regulatory gaps, overlaps or inconsistencies in regulation.
• The UK should lead in raising international awareness of animals containing human material, promoting international consistency in research practice involving their use, and exploring the development of international standards or guidance.

Evidence gathered to aid the working group included oral evidence sessions and correspondence with the working group, an open call for evidence and a programme of public dialogue with an associated evaluation.

Press information is available from the press pages.

Electronic versions of the full report, the report synopsis and the responses to its publication are available to download below.

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Professor Martin Bobrow CBE FRS FMedSci (Chair)
Professor Emeritus of Medical Genetics, University of Cambridge

Professor Thomas Baldwin
Professor of Philosophy, University of York

Reverend Dr Michael Banner
Dean of Trinity College, University of Cambridge

Professor Peter Brophy FRSE FMedSci
Professor of Anatomy, University of Edinburgh

Ms Tara Camm
General Counsel and Company Secretary, Plan International

Professor Dame Kay Davies DBE CBE FRS FMedSci
Lee's Professor of Anatomy, University of Oxford

Professor John Harris FMedSci
Lord Alliance Professor of Bioethics, University of Manchester

Professor Roger Lemon FMedSci
Sobell Chair of Neurophysiology, UCL

Dr Robin Lovell-Badge FRS FMedSci
Head of Division of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics, MRC NIMR

Professor Jack Price
Professor of Developmental Neurobiology, King’s College London

Professor Terence Rabbitts FRS FMedSci
Director, Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine

Professor Martin Raff CBE FRS FMedSci
Emeritus Professor, MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, UCL

Professor Trevor Robbins FRS FMedSci
Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Cambridge

Professor Nikolas Rose
Martin White Professor of Sociology, LSE

Professor Christopher Shaw FMedSci
Professor of Neurology and Neurogenetics, King’s College London

Professor Veronica van Heyningen CBE FRS FRSE FMedSci
Group Leader/Joint Section Head, Medical and Developmental Genetics Section, MRC Human Genetics Unit, Edinburgh

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Professor Ronald Laskey CBE FRS FMedSci (Chair)
Emeritus Professor of Embryology, University of Cambridge

Professor Sir Richard Gardner FRS
Emeritus Professor, Department of Biology, University of York

Lord Richard Harries of Pentregarth FMedSci
Former Bishop of Oxford

Dr Stephen Inglis
Director of the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC)

Professor Ian Kimber
Chair, Board of National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs)

Professor Ian McConnell FRSE FMedSci
Emeritus Professor of Veterinary Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge

Dr Paul Whiting
Head of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Site Head, Regenerative Medicine, Pfizer

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• Animals containing human material: full report [863.2k]
• Animals containing human materials: report synopsis [850.21k]
• Animals containing human materials: press release [80.2k]
• Responses to the report [36.8k]
• Additional supporting quotes [17.77k]

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