On International Day for Animals in Research, 110 scientists have made a clear commitment to animal research. Their campaign aims to provide an objective, transparent and scientifically sound perspective.
On International Day for Animals in Laboratory Research on 24 April 2025, 110 leading scientists from Germany will publicly declare their commitment to animal research. In a joint statement entitled "We conduct animal experiments!", they make it clear that without animal experiments, medical progress and the development of new therapies for many diseases would not be possible. The campaign is being organised by Prof. Dr. Frank Kirchhoff of Saarland University, a member of the Executive Board of the German Neuroscience Society. Researchers from Hanover Medical School (MHH) have also signed the plea for social recognition of the importance of animal research.
"Animal experiments are indispensable"
"Animal experiments are indispensable for basic research," emphasises Professor Kirchhoff. "At the same time, we consider the integration of cell culture and organoid models into our research programmes to be necessary and already practise this extensively." The signatories come from research institutions at German universities, the Max Planck Society, the Leibniz Association and the Helmholtz Association. They hold leading positions in numerous scientific societies – as presidents, board members or spokespersons, for example in the Neuroscience Society, the German Society for Neurosurgery, the German Society for Cell Biology, the Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the German Physiological Society and many other professional associations. They have received numerous awards, such as the Leibniz Prize of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and various European Research Council (ERC) grants. Many of them shape the German scientific landscape as members of academies such as the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the state science academies or the Academia Europaea.
Responsible research for the benefit of humans and animals
The researchers emphasise that animal experiments are conducted under the strictest ethical and legal guidelines and remain indispensable for researching diseases such as Alzheimer's, cancer, diabetes and rare genetic disorders, and for developing innovative therapies. Their common goal is responsible research for the benefit of humans and animals. The campaign is accompanied by a four-page paper highlighting important discoveries made through animal experiments, as well as a complete list of the 110 signatories with personal statements and short biographies. "Our campaign complements the educational work of the information initiative 'Understanding Animal Experiments', whose website www.tierversuche-verstehen.de contains extensive information on animal experiments as well as personal statements," said Professor Kirchhoff.
Text: Frank Kirchhoff, Universität des Saarlandes