Alternatives to Animal Models in Diabetes Research Animal Welfare Information Center Newsletter, Spring 1997, Vol. Paul Jaco, a senior, was the winner of a poster competition between members of the class. He is currently in graduate school at Murray State University. In the past century, scientists have moved toward using fewer animals in research by choosing alternatives models.
Replacement is more than substituting animals with nonanimal models.
An example of this is Teleost fish used in research of diabetes mellitus. Many times companion animals are replaced with less sentient animals such as rodents. Other avenues of replacement are computer simulations, tissue cultures, and many other models. Reduction may be accomplished by simply reducing the numbers of animals used in the research. One example is proper application of statistical information.