Keeping track of compliance

Monitoring of animal use protocols following IACUC approval is a way to ensure regulatory compliance and improve communication between the IACUC and investigators. Smelser et al. describe the Protocol Audit System used by the University of California, San Diego's Animal Welfare Program to ensure that investigators adhere to IACUC-approved protocols. They include a Protocol Audit form, which can be used by institutions to initiate, enhance, or evaluate post-approval monitoring programs. See page 23

Training options for IACUC members

The IACUC is one of the most important committees at a research institution and plays a critical role in the success of an animal care and use program. It is the responsibility of the institution to provide IACUC members with adequate and appropriate training. Haywood et al. explore various IACUC training options, ranging from online resources to attendance at workshops and conferences. See page 33

Defining the 'Program'

An effective Animal Care and Use Program is critical to an institution's ability to ensure that animal research is conducted humanely and follows all applicable regulations and guidelines; however, no straightforward definition of the fundamentals of such a Program currently exists. Sandgren provides a global view of the key programmatic components, which can be used to improve existing programs or implement new programs. See page 41

TBE on trial

The intraperitoneal injection of tribromoethanol results in the simple and rapid induction of short-term surgical anesthesia. Recent adverse reports about the efficacy and safety of TBE, however, combined with the availability of pharmaceutical-grade alternative anesthetics, make the continued routine use of TBE as a rodent anesthetic controversial. Meyer and Fish review the history and use of TBE as an animal anesthetic and conclude that TBE should be relegated to acute terminal studies. See page 47