Seven years of RE-Place : What is the status of the database today?

New Approach Methodologies are generally defined as any method or approach that collects information without the direct use of live animals. Such NAMs can thus help to reduce or sometimes avoid animal testing in biomedical research or to address regulatory questions. NAMs include, among others, in vitro, in silico or in chemico methods. However, the fast development pace of NAMs represents a challenge for scientists and other stakeholders in finding and accessing relevant, reliable and up-to-date information.

In Belgium, the RE-Place project addresses this challenge by gathering the existing expertise on the use of NAMs in one central database accessible at www.re-place.be. The RE-Place open-access database provides an up-to-date inventory of NAMs in Belgium and links this information with the names of experts and institutes where the methods have been developed and/or are currently applied.

At present, 279 methods have been submitted by 181 experts representing 33 Belgian organizations. These contributors come from diverse sectors, including not only academic institutions and research centers but also pharmaceutical industry, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as innovative spin-offs within the life science domain. Although many efforts have been taken to expand the content of the RE-Place database, convincing scientists to submit their methods remains the major challenge in this project. Various incentives have been created to stimulate contribution including, amongst others, awards, publication in an international journal, active dissemination of information on NAMs from the RE-Place database via the website, social media channels and newsletter, and the set-up of opportunities to present ongoing research.

By participating in the RE-Place project, Belgian scientists play a crucial role in building an extensive inventory of the expertise on NAMs available in Belgium. This effort facilitates the exchange of information and know-how on NAMs. As such, RE-Place contributes to the ultimate goal of accelerating their adoption on a broader scale, while also stimulating the (partial) replacement of animal testing in the long term.