Alternative Approaches in Neuroscience and Neurological Disorder Research: Replacing and Refining Animal Models

Background: For decades, animal models have been a vital tool in research and have provided essential insight into neural development, physiology and disease. But recently, there has been a shift, and many actions have been taken to minimize the use of animals in neurological experiments. Alternative options are lately being investigated to overcome the problems related to animal welfare, species-specific differences, and ethical concerns. These include in vitro neural cell cultures, organoids, organ-on-a-chip systems, human-based approaches, and in silico (computational) models. Methods: This review discusses these tools and their strengths and limitations, especially in the context of neurodevelopment and neurodegenerative research. Results: Alternative models have some advantages, like providing controlled environments and presenting fewer ethical challenges. Yet they fall short in mimicking the integrated interactions and the physiological complexities of the living organisms. While these alternatives have made a drastic progress, they cannot fully replace the animal models. Moreover, animal-based techniques are still critical for validating findings from non-animal systems. Conclusion: Currently, the best and most ethical approach is to integrate both animal and alternative models to use the advantages of each, to advance neuroscience research.

کلیدواژه ها:

Animal models ، organoids ، organ-on-a-chip ، in silico models ، neuroscience