RSPCA hails 'more humane' testing
A NATIONAL animal charity yesterday welcomed the news that artificial human skin can now be used to test chemicals for irritation, saving hundreds of laboratory rabbits from suffering and distress.
The RSPCA said that not only was the use of this new method "more humane", but it would also provide a more accurate assessment of the potential irritancy of a substance to human skin.
A guideline issued last month by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) allows testing to be done using artificial human skin to establish if a chemical may cause skin irritation.
Such a test replaces one used since the 1940s which tested chemicals by applying them to rabbits' shaved backs.
Barry Phillips, a senior scientist with the RSPCA, described the development as a "milestone".
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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