2.8 The AnimALT-ZEBET Database: a Unique Resource for Comprehensive and Value-Added Information on 3R Alternatives

• Published in: Alternatives to Animal Testing and Experimentation 2009, Vol.14 (2), p.904-905
• Main Authors: Daniel Butzke, Antje Doehrendahl, Susanne Skolik, Andreas Luch, Barbara Grune
• Format: Article
• Language: Japanese
• ISSN: 1344-0411

Value-added databases are the starting point for any structured search for information on suitable alternative methods. They provide short reviews on the most advanced procedures with relevance to the 3R principle in a clear, reliable and comprehensive manner. At the forefront of these essential resources is the AnimAlt-ZEBET database that is offered by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment accessible online free of charge. The documents of this database are compiled by scientific experts and provide selected highquality information in compliance with the specific requirements of scientists, competent authorities and others who are obliged to consider the applicability of a specific alternative method. Thus, the focus is on (1) the essential technical key points, (2) the application domain, (3) advances/limitations of the most elaborate protocol, (4) the prediction model, (5) the opinion(s) of expert panels (e.g. ESAC; ICCVAM), (6) the status of validation and acceptance and, most notably, (7) the contribution of the respective method to the 3R concept. Because the documents of the database are written in a structured manner, they can be used as the feedstock for any up-to-date text mining application, like “semantic landscape”- producing tools. The database currently holds some 140 documents with a focus on safety testing of chemicals and drugs, but will be expanded to also cover the area of basic sciences.