Animal models of critical illness in the Asia–Pacific region: current practices, shared challenges, and future directions

TL;DR

This review explores the challenges and future directions of animal models for critical illness research in the Asia-Pacific region.

Contribution

The paper proposes strategies for harmonizing standards and fostering collaboration in critical illness animal research.

Findings

Animal models face issues like limited reproducibility and fragmented standards.

Adoption of alternative methodologies remains uneven across the region.

Harmonized standards and international collaboration are key to improving research rigor.

Abstract

Animal models of critical illness span diverse species and experimental approaches, reflecting the biological complexity of severe disease states while being constrained by animal welfare requirements and country-specific regulatory, infrastructural, and workforce factors. Persistent challenges remain, including limited reproducibility, fragmented standards, and the need for ethical alignment across borders. This review examines these shared structural challenges in critical illness animal research across the Asia–Pacific region. While alternative and complementary methodologies are increasingly incorporated into preclinical research, their adoption remains uneven. We argue that alignment with globally recognized preclinical frameworks, including the 3Rs and disease-specific standards, such as MQTiPSS, is essential. This review discusses actionable strategies—centered on harmonized standards, shared resources, and international collaboration—to strengthen research rigor, support early career researchers, and enhance the translational relevance of critical illness animal research.

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