Madeleine Biondi, Staff Writer
VCU laboratory staff failed to follow ethical protocol on mice subjects in a cancer research study, resulting in the suspension of the project in June and a voluntary end to all projects involving animal testing.
The VCU Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee determined that researchers failed to euthanize the mice in adherence with human endpoints designated by protocol. Humane endpoints are guidelines that researchers use to determine when an experimental animal’s distress should end through euthenasia or being removed from the study. Project suspension is reserved for cases of severe animal suffering.
The project’s principal investigator, Paul Dent, self-reported to the Committee on June 15 and voluntarily suspended all animal testing in the days following. Dent is no longer listed as a principal investigator on any other projects.
Michael Budkie, executive director of Stop Animal Exploitation NOW stated in an email that animal testing treats animals as if they are discardable and inanimate and calls on VCU to ban Dent from future animal research.
“Failure to follow the protocol both abuses animals and makes seriously flawed ‘science’ even worse,” Budkie stated.
The IACUC voted to suspend the project until Dent met with Animal Care and Use Program leadership and the action plan was determined, according to an official NIH document. Due to protocol violation, the research was not allowed to be published.
The Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center preclinical trial aimed to understand how a specific protein variant impacted cancer treatment.
In an official complaint to VCU, Stop Animal Exploitation Now stated, “Failure to follow these endpoints means that animals endured extreme suffering because lab workers were either unconcerned and couldn’t be bothered to perform euthanasia, or they intentionally chose not to perform the euthanasia/pain relief to collect more data.”
VCU animal research guidelines abide by the three Rs: Reduction, Replacement and Refinement which aim to minimize the use of animals and provide humane treatment, according to the VCU Animal Care and Use Program. All protocols involving animals must be approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee prior to testing.
“This matter did not involve research misconduct,” VCU Public Relations stated in an email. “Rather, this matter was identified during routine monitoring by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.”
The project received $257,125 in funding by an award from the National Institute of Health, spanning from 2024 to June 30 due to suspension, according to VCU Public Relations specialists.
The awarded funds have been retracted and reabsorbed, and Budkie has called on VCU to return the funding to the National Institutes of Health, according to the Richmond Times Dispatch.
“This is the most common violation that we see,” Budkie stated. “While not all of these failures are this serious in terms of animal welfare, this is still a major issue. This usually does not become public.”
VCU laboratories have a history of self-reports involving animal mistreatment, including three instances in April due to negligence, improper pain management and administration of unapproved drugs. The university has experienced backlash for National Institute of Health-funded animal testing projects, including using hard drugs on animal subjects, according to ABC News.
The VCU animal research lab received notable increases in funding year-over-year, experiencing a 54% increase between 2020 and 2024. VCU also plans to purchase the Altria Center for Research and Technology for $230 million.
VCU president Michael Rao announced that he planned on transforming VCU research from a national to an international hub during the 2026 annual State of the Research event, according to VCU News.
Budkie stated that animal research continues to attract federal funding.
Sen. William Stanley failed to pass a bill last session, that would have required detailed accounts of animal health, funding and operations within animal research labs to ensure transparency and accountability.
The VCU Animal Care and Use Program said that while it is possible to achieve a future without animal testing, no alternatives currently suffice.
“Moving to better technology (organ on a chip tech, 3D bioprinting, etc.) would eliminate the use of animals,” Budkie stated. “This will generate better, more accurate science because it removes inter-species differences.”