Referring to your article, “Animal tests at uni soar in three years” (The Argus, March 3), alternatives to animal experimentation are now available in virtually every field of medical research, so why are animal tests at the University of Brighton increasing?

Replacing animal tests does not mean putting patients at risk.

It also does not mean halting medical progress.

But replacing animal testing will improve both the quality and humanity of our science.

Animals do not get many of the human diseases that people do, such as heart disease, many types of cancer, HIV or Parkinson’s; these have to be artificially induced in animals.

Due to innovations in science, animal tests are being replaced in areas such as toxicity testing, neuroscience and drug development.

The world’s most forward-thinking scientists have moved on to develop and use methods for studying diseases and testing products that replace animals and are actually relevant to human health.

These modern methods include sophisticated tests using human cells and tissues (also known as in vitro methods), advanced computer-modelling techniques (often referred to as in silico models), and studies with human volunteers.

These and other non-animal methods are not hindered by differences that make applying animal test results to humans difficult or impossible, and they can take up less time and money to complete.

It seems to me that the University of Brighton needs to move into the 21st century concerning its scientific medical research.

David Hammond, North Court, Hassocks