The age of animal experiments is waning. Where will science go next?

Nature

by Diana Kwon

February 25, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

The decline of animal experimentation is gaining momentum globally, driven by ethical concerns and advancements in alternative scientific methods. The UK government has set ambitious targets to phase out animal testing in certain research areas, such as eliminating skin irritation tests this year and reducing dog studies by 2030. Similar efforts are underway in the US and Europe, with regulatory bodies aiming to make animal studies an exception rather than the norm. New alternative methodologies (NAMs), including organs-on-chips, organoids, and computational models, are revolutionizing research. These methods often use human cells or data, potentially offering more accurate results than traditional animal testing. The number of biomedical publications using NAMs has surged from around 25,000 to 100,000 between 2006 and 2022, highlighting their growing importance. China is also making significant strides in this field with a major investment in the Human Organ Physiopathology Emulation System. Despite these advancements, challenges remain. Some biological systems are too complex for current alternatives, and many NAMs have yet to be validated for reliability. While the shift toward reducing animal use is significant, especially in regulatory testing, it won't eliminate animals entirely soon. However, this trend underscores a broader move toward more ethical, efficient, and reliable research practices, ultimately benefiting both science and animal welfare.

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Originally published on Nature on 2/25/2026