Revised Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals available. American Physiological Society.

of Laboratory Animals has been completed 11 years after the previous edition was published. The Guide is an important tool for researchers around the world because it provides an important compilation of information and references on animal care and experimentation. An overview of the changes appearing in the seventh edition of the Guide was presented at the “Animal Welfare Update” symposium sponsored by the APS Animal Care and Experimentation Committee at Experimental Biology ‘96. The new Guide features a consolidation and reorganization of the material presented. There are certain changes, such as new discussions about nontraditional species and field investigations, an end to dual standards for biomedical and agricultural research, and a few changes to recommended cage sizes. The new Guide also provides expanded and updated guidance on the role of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The 1996 version of Guide is being published by the National Academy Press based on the recommendations of a committee selected by the Institute for Laboratory Animal Resources (ILAR), which is a component of the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences. The 15-member Committee, chaired by J. Derrell Clark, included veterinarians, researchers, and ethicists. A nonscientist was also appointed to serve as a community member of the Committee. The sponsors of this latest edition of the Guide include the Office for Protection From Research Risks (OPRR) and the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) of the NIH, the Interagency Research Animal Committee (IRAC), and the Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Veterans Affairs (VA). Because of its multi-agency sponsorship, the newest edition will simply be known as the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. The sponsors asked the Committee to receive public input, be consistent with scientific knowledge, provide references to published materials, and maintain consistency with the style and content of the previous edition. This article summarizes some of the main changes in the Guide.