Lucía Pérez-Sánchez, Laboratorio de Investigación de Materiales Dentales y Biomateriales, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
Janeth Serrano-Bello, Laboratorio de Bioingeniería de Tejidos. Facultad de Odontología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
Animal experimentation has long been a fundamental pillar in biomedical research, relying on the use of species such as rodents, primates, and pigs. However, significant interspecies biological differences and growing ethical concerns regarding the use of sentient beings have highlighted important limitations in the translation of experimental results to humans. These challenges have driven the adoption of the 3Rs principle (replacement, reduction, and refinement) as an essential ethical framework for contemporary research.Currently, replacement technologies can be broadly classified into three main categories. First, in vitro methods have evolved from traditional two-dimensional cell cultures to more advanced three-dimensional models, including organoids and Organ-on-a-Chip systems, which use microfluidic technology to accurately recreate the human physiological microenvironment. Second, the use of invertebrates such as Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster enables high-throughput studies in genetics and toxicology while reducing costs and ethical constraints. Finally, in silico approaches, enhanced by artificial intelligence, employ models such as physiologically based pharmacokinetic, quantitative structure–activity relationship, and molecular docking to virtually predict the pharmacokinetics and toxicity of compounds. Therefore, these technologies not only minimize animal suffering but also improve the efficiency and safety of developing new therapeutic strategies.
Keywords: Laboratory animals. 3Rs principle. In vitro. Invertebrates. In silico.