Laboratory Animal Center
Mission
1
Laboratory animal management and husbandry
2
Veterinary preventive medicine and medical care
3
Consultation pertaining to animal care and use, as well as veterinary medical issues in animal use protocol development
4
Support for compliance with animal use protocols carried out in its facilities
5
Training in the care and use of laboratory animals
6
Reporting of requirements to the Institute Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
The Chulabhorn Research Institute Laboratory Animal Center (CRI-LAC) has been accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC International) since 2010. The center is committed to supporting the Institute in its mission of quality research by providing an animal care and use program that enables the generation of consistent and reliable data with respect to the use of laboratory animals.
The primary concern of the CRI-LAC is the welfare of the animals used through compliance with principles and guidelines specified under the Animals for Scientific Purposes Act and in several key reference documents, including the Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes (National Research Council of Thailand, Ministry of Science and Technology) and the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, 8th ed. (US National Research Council). We strive to ensure that research animals receive proper care and handling with minimal discomfort or pain and live in an enriched environment. The procedures and policies outlined in the Institute’s Animal Care and Use Program (ACUP), policy statement, standard operating procedures and occupational health and safety program are implemented in management of the facilities, while the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) provides oversight of the program.
The 2 main objectives of CRI’s ACUP, and its associated policies and procedures are:
- To ensure that laboratory animal experiments are conducted in accordance with the highest scientific, humane, and ethical principles, as stated in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, and to ensure that the welfare of the laboratory research animals is given high priority in any consideration regarding care and use of the animals; and
- To ensure the quality of the animal research conducted in the facility, and the resultant research data collected, by eliminating any potential modifying factors related to the care and use of the animals
The animal research that has been conducted at CRI is done mainly through the laboratories of Pharmacology, Environmental Toxicology, and Immunology, as well as the Translational Research Center. Research conducted is related to toxicity of metals; the diabetes model and anti-diabetes effects; acute, sub-chronic, and chronic toxicity of chemicals found in natural products; pharmacokinetics studies; hybridoma production and the effect of drugs on cholangiocarcinoma xenografts. CRI has been recently accepted as a GLP compliant test facility on October 25, 2023 by the Bureau of Laboratory Quality Standards (BLQS), Thailand.