ATLA::Alternatives to Laboratory Animals

Volume 30, Number 2

The use of fetal bovine serum: ethical or scientific problem?

Carlo E. A. Jochems,¹ Jan B.F. Van Der Valk,² Frans R. Stafleu³ And Vera Baumans¹

¹Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80166, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands; ²Department of Animals and Society, Netherlands Centre Alternatives to Animal Use (NCA), Utrecht, The Netherlands; ³Center for Bio-Ethics and Health Justice, Utrecht, The Netherlands

SUMMARY

Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is a common component of animal cell culture media, it is harvested from bovine fetuses taken from pregnant cows during slaughter. FIBS is commonly harvested by means of a cardiac puncture without any form of anaesthesia. Fetuses are probably exposed to pain and/or discomfort, so the current practice of fetal blood harvesting is inhumane. Apart from moral concerns, several scientific and technical problems exist with regard to the use of FBS in cell culture. Efforts should be made to reduce the use of FBS or, preferably, to replace it with synthetic alternatives.

Keywords: animal welfare, cell culture, defined culture media, fetal bovine serum, fetal pain, reduction, refinement, replacement