This manuscript discusses the ethical and scientific role of animal research in neuroscience from the perspective of both a neuroscientist and a patient. It argues that while the development and implementation of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) should be actively promoted, carefully regulated animal research remains necessary in some areas where validated alternatives cannot yet reproduce the complexity of living biological systems. The manuscript reviews current regulatory frameworks, summarizes the contributions and limitations of animal models and emerging human-relevant methods, and advocates for a gradual, evidence-based transition towards approaches that reduce and eventually replace animal use whenever scientifically justified. This work is intended as a Perspective article for researchers, clinicians, ethicists, policymakers, and anyone interested in the future of biomedical research and animal ethics.
Dianela Osorio (Fri,) studied this question.