ALIGARH: The two-day International Annual Conference on “Alternatives to Animal Experimentation” and the 6th Annual Meeting of the Society for Alternatives to Animal Experiments-India (SAAE-India), organized in collaboration with the Department of Pharmacology, JN Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University began today at JN Medical College Auditorium, with AMU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Mohammad Gulrez as the chief guest.
In his speech, Professor Gulrez highlighted the need for simulation exercises of in vitro and ex vivo animal experiments, while emphasizing that the study of pre-clinical tests does not correspond exactly in the same way to the stage following clinical tests. .
In his presidential address, Prof. YK Gupta, Chairman, SAAE-I and President, AIIMS, Jammu, highlighted the importance of the conference topic on biomedical research. He said the company’s goal is not to suspend all animal testing, but it emphasizes streamlining its use.
He acknowledged the role played by Aligarh Muslim University as an epicenter of knowledge and cultural exchange.
Prof. MA Akbersha, Secretary General, explained the concept of alternative experimental topics such as in vitro technology, 3D cell culture, organ-on-a-chip model, organoids, microphysiological system and how animal data does not may not be reliable today for carrying out clinical tests. in humans.
Professor Syed Ziaur Rehman, Chairman of the Department of Pharmacology and Organizing Secretary, stressed the need to sit down together and discuss the idea of promoting the adoption of alternatives to animal testing, from the 4R movement in India and the need for collaboration between universities to generate new alternative methods and their validation by the appropriate agency.
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Professor Veena Maheshwari, also welcomed the idea and appreciated the society’s aims to improve the quality of research while ensuring safety of animal life.
Prof. Haris M. Khan, Principal and CMS, JN Medical College, informed that different study departments of the college are now using expired or obsolete human red blood cells for research, thereby saving animal lives.
Prof. Gopinath Packiriswamy, Director, Center for Nanotechnology, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT, Roorkee was awarded the Dipti M Kapoor Endowment Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Prof. KC Singhal , former Chairman of the Department of Pharmacology, JN Medical College, AMU.
Prof. Gulrez also made public the memory of the conference, in the presence of Editor-in-Chief Dr. Farhan Ahmad Khan and Co-Editor Dr. Irfan Ahmad Khan.
Two roundtable discussions took place following the inaugural session and later, delegates visited the Ibn Sina Academy and the Museum of Medieval Sciences.
Dr Vibhu Pandey and Dr Abhijit Shridhar conducted the program while Dr Jameel Ahmad gave a vote of thanks.
