Arti Ahluwalia, Babette Fletemeyer, Giuseppe Chirico, Alisa Elezovic, Winfried Neuhaus, Adrian J Smith, Jeffrey J Bajramovic, Doris Wilflingeder. What's in a NAM ? Lab Anim (NY) (2026). doi: 10.1038/s41684-026-01731-8.
The transition away from animal experimentation is gaining momentum across scientific disciplines, driven by technological advancements, ethical imperatives and policy support. At the forefront of this movement is the development of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs). Rather than serving as mere substitutes for animal testing, NAMs represent a paradigm shift. Their growing acceptance has been reinforced by recent policy advancements, such as the US Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act 2.0 and the European Chemicals Agency’s commitment to transitioning toward an animal-free regulatory system, both of which promote the adoption of NAMs. However, the term NAMs has become increasingly ambiguous, leading to confusion and potential misuse. To address this, we propose a unified definition: NAMs are species-specific methodologies, not including the use of living animals. NAMs prioritize the use of the target species in some form or another, eliminating the need for interspecies extrapolation. If the target species is human, this simple definition implies that working with experimental animals as a model never qualifies as a NAM. This distinction positions NAMs as a fundamentally different approach to the 3Rs framework of Replacement, Reduction and Refinement, and practical examples are discussed. Critically, this definition extends beyond toxicology and regulatory science, encompassing basic, applied and translational research. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies, including organoids, organ-on-chip, microfluidics, 3D bioprinting, bioinformatics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, NAMs provide novel biological insights that differ from those obtained through animal models while enhancing species-relevant data accuracy. Although challenges remain, particularly in their validation and widespread adoption, continued innovation, policy support and interdisciplinary collaboration will be key to unlocking their full potential, fostering more sustainable, humane and human-relevant approaches in biomedical research.
Céline Heinl, Nuno H Franco, Bettina Bert, Katherina Siewert, Dania Movia, Edlira Aruçi, Carina Ladeira, Ahmed Y Sanin, Winfried Neuhaus, Ulf D Kahlert, Manosij Ghosh, Aurélie Thomas & Athanassia Sotiropoulos. A call for preregistration of in vitro research: Pregistration as a tool to improve reproducibility and transparency. EMBO Reports (2026). doi: 10.1038/s44319-026-00764-x.
Vitale Augusto, Simone Pollo, Nikos Kostomitsopoulos, Aurelie Thomas, Gamze Kaya, Kaan Bicici, Yesim Isil Ulman. The Istanbul Workshop organised by the ‘IMPROVE’ COST Action Ethics Crossover Group. Altern Lab Anim (2025). doi: 10.1177/02611929251345074.
The overall aim of the ‘Improving the Quality of Biomedical Science with 3Rs Concepts’ (IMPROVE) COST Action (CA21139) is to establish an interdisciplinary network dedicated to refining, harmonising and promoting the adoption of the Three Rs concepts, to enhance the quality of biomedical research. The ‘IMPROVE’ COST Action has assembled an Ethics Crossover Group composed of volunteer members from each of IMPROVE’s four established Working Groups: ‘Quality and translatability of science’, ‘Implementation’, ‘Dissemination’ and ‘Education’. This report relates to a two-day workshop, held in Acibadem University in Istanbul on 2–3 September 2024. The workshop was organised by the Ethics Crossover Group in line with the aims and the scope of the ‘IMPROVE’ COST Action, to address the ethical dimension of research and experiments on laboratory animals.
Maria Kitsara, presented a poster at FELASA 2025 entitled "IMP3ROVE Animal Research" under the Topic 5 - Aiming for a better future, highlighting the impactful work COST Action IMPROVE - 3Rs concepts to improve the quality of biomedical science (CA21139). This initiative is dedicated to advancing the 3Rs principles—Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement— to elevate the quality and ethical standards of biomedical science.
The presentation showcased:
- the mission and activities of IMPROVE
- the current status of the network in terms of participants
- the key outcomes achieved so far,
This work underscores the importance of responsible research practices and the power of international collaboration in shaping the future of biomedical science
The poster dealt with the issues of communication, inclusion, and research culture within laboratory animal science supporting the central message of the session "SkillUp Tech session titled “A Win-Win Situation for Research Quality and Work Satisfaction: More Involvement of Animal Care Staff" involving all staff who contribute to animal research—especially those responsible for daily animal care—can lead to improvements in both animal welfare and research quality. Therefore, attention must be paid to training needs and implementation.
A report about the COST Action IMPROVE was issued on the website of the German 3Rs Network "Bundesnetzwerk-3R.de". The report can be found via following link:
In addition to the description of the COST Action project IMPROVE, Action chair Winfried Neuhaus answers three questions. The article is written in German language.
Kitsara M, Smajlhodžić-Deljo M, Gurbeta Pokvic L, et al.
"Introducing the COST Action ‘Improving the Quality of Biomedical Science with 3Rs Concepts’ (IMPROVE)."
Alternatives to Laboratory Animals. 2024;52(6):326-333. doi:10.1177/02611929241286024
The European Union-funded COST Action, ‘Improving the Quality of Biomedical Science with 3Rs Concepts’ (IMPROVE), which kicked-off in October 2022, presents an unprecedented opportunity to harmonise and synergise efforts in moving the Three Rs forward. European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) is a funding organisation for research and innovation networks, supporting interdisciplinary research networks to investigate a specific topic from all different research fields. The ‘IMPROVE’ COST Action aims to establish an interdisciplinary network dedicated to refining, harmonising and promoting the adoption of the Three Rs principles, in order to enhance the quality of biomedical research.
Lauwereyns, J., Bajramovic, J., Bert, B. et al. Toward a common interpretation of the 3Rs principles in animal research. Lab Anim (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41684-024-01476-2
Despite their broad acceptance, interpretations of the 3Rs vary substantially, shaping statutory frameworks at various levels, with both technical and practical impacts.The work tries to contribute to a common understanding of the 3Rs.
The three pages long report (p7-9) from Prof. Yesim Isil Ulman introduced the CA21139 IMPROVE together with the Istanbul Workshop of its Ethics X-over Working Group in the September 2024 Newsletter of the EACME (Home | European Association of Centres of Medical Ethics).
