A new era in biomedical research is taking shape as the scientific community increasingly shifts towards human-specific research. Central to this transformation are the individuals and groups actively pursuing the development and adoption of more effective and ethical approaches. To gain a better understanding of what it takes to make this shift, the Centre for Human Specific Research is asking leading experts to share their story.
In this article, Dr Dania Movia, Assistant Professor in Biomedical & Health Services at the Department of Biology, Maynooth University, and member of the Centre for Human Specific Research’s Scientific Advisory Panel, provides insights into her journey to found and lead the Humane Biomedical Research Group – Ireland’s first wet lab dedicated to human-focused respiratory research.
Human-Focused Lung Models
Dr Movia and her team are pioneering the use of human-focused models to study the lung, with particular emphasis on lung cancer and inhalation toxicology. Their research centres on developing advanced 3D in vitro systems, such as tumoroids and layered cell cultures, that accurately capture the complexity of the lung environment. By closely mimicking the physiological conditions of the human respiratory system, these models provide a human-relevant and translational platform for understanding disease mechanisms, assessing novel therapeutics, and determining product safety thresholds.
“I want to provide models that not only answer fundamental biological questions but also accelerate translation into the clinic in ways that are scientifically more relevant to human health.“
Dr Dania Movia
The Current Respiratory Research Landscape
Given the persistently high attrition rates observed in clinical trials, the value and translational relevance of traditional preclinical models are increasingly being called into question. In Dr Movia’s field of research, the statistics are particularly striking – drug development for respiratory diseases faces an overall failure rate of around 70%. Although several factors impact this outcome, a major contributing factor is the limited predictive capacity of animal studies.
“The anatomy, physiology, and immune responses of animals’ respiratory system differ in significant ways from humans, which means that results from animal studies often do not translate well to the clinic.“
Dr Dania Movia
The adoption of the EU Directive 2010/63/EU in 2010 marked a landmark moment in animal welfare legislation, establishing a clear commitment to replacing animal experiments wherever scientifically feasible. However, progress towards this goal has varied considerably across Europe. In 2022, more than a decade after the Directive’s introduction, Dr Movia and her colleagues examined progress in a commentary article highlighting Ireland’s limited uptake of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) – particularly the principle of replacement. The paper outlined key steps needed for the country to align its biomedical research practices with the European strategy. Among these recommendations was the establishment of a national 3Rs Centre to serve as a driving force to modernise biomedical research and accelerate the transition away from animal-based experimentation.
“The commentary article gave both purpose and legitimacy to launching my group wholly committed to human-focused, animal-free respiratory research.“
Dr Dania Movia
Within the respiratory field, the scientific rationale for adopting more human-focused approaches is already compelling. Numerous studies have demonstrated the successful application of complex in vitro, cell-based models to investigate lung biology under physiologically relevant conditions. These systems have proven to be robust and reliable platforms for exploring disease mechanisms, drug penetration and resistance, and inhalation toxicity – offering a new foundation for translational research.
The commentary article would act as a spark, providing both the rationale and the impetus for Dr Movia to establish the Human Biomedical Research Group – a lab dedicated entirely to human-specific research.
“I saw a gap: many labs have ambitions to reduce animal use but lack a dedicated framework or community to push full replacement. I wanted to build that space.”
Dr Dania Movia
The Path to Establishing a Human-Focused Lab
Establishing a new research group is a formidable task for any scientist, but does the challenge intensify when the goal is to build a lab dedicated to human-specific research?
Dr Movia explains that, for her, the process was not fundamentally different to setting up an animal-based lab. She followed the same essential steps as any new Principal Investigator: securing funding, developing models, optimising protocols, and building a team with the right expertise.
“In essence, I can say the process was no easier or harder, it simply required persistence, creativity, and a commitment to proving that an animal-free lab can thrive.”
Dr Dania Movia
However, one notable challenge she faced was in securing funding – a hurdle Dr Movia believes is partly a result of animal methods bias. This bias refers to a tendency within peer review systems to favour animal-based research or to undervalue non-animal methods, often stemming from a lack of expertise in evaluating human-focused approaches. It is widely recognised that grant applications and publications relying solely on in vitro data often encounter at least one reviewer advocating for the inclusion of animal experiments. Such biases can place researchers like Dr Movia and her team at a distinct disadvantage in competitive funding environments.
“Non-animal approaches are still often undervalued or seen as “risky” compared to traditional animal-based studies. Overcoming this is an ongoing process.”
Dr Dania Movia
Encouragingly, the scientific community is beginning to address this issue. In 2022, an international consortium of researchers and advocates launched the Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias (COLAAB), which has since developed practical guidelines and strategies to help researchers recognise and navigate such bias in grant and publication review.
To overcome the funding challenges, Dr Movia strategically targeted pilot grants and funding streams that specifically support 3Rs and animal-free research, including initiatives from the Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing and Animal Free Research UK. This early funding has been instrumental in building the foundations and momentum for her lab.
“Being able to demonstrate the scientific rigor and translational relevance of our models is gradually helping the lab gain credibility and the resources needed to grow.”
Dr Dania Movia
Recognising that the first steps to human-specific research can often be the most challenging, the Centre for Human Specific Research offer Pilot grants designed to support scientists in exploring innovative, human-focused research methods. These grants offer a stepping stone, enabling the generation of pilot data to support future large-scale funding applications.
Next Steps
Now in its 3rd year, The Humane Biomedical Research Group is building momentum and gaining international recognition.
“Internationally, our work is recognised and valued, and it has opened numerous collaborations with researchers, institutions, and initiatives abroad who are interested in advancing human-focused, animal-free models or use our models as testing platforms.”
Dr Dania Movia
At this stage, Dr Movia recognises there is still work to be done to make their models fully human-specific. While the cell-based assays employed by the group incorporate human cells, some systems still rely on animal derived products (ADPs), such as foetal bovine serum (FBS).
“This is a common intermediate stage in the transition to fully animal-free research.”
Dr Dania Movia
ADPs remain widely used in biomedical research. However, there are notable concerns regarding the reproducibility, reliability, and often relevance of data acquired from approaches utilising them. Additionally, ethical and environmental issues related to the production and use of ADPs are significant.
Committed to achieving entirely animal-free models, Dr Movia’s team is actively adapting their models to use xeno-free, chemically defined culture media, with support from a pilot grant from Animal Free Research UK. Simultaneously, thanks to a Higher Education Research Equipment Grant (HEREG) – an Irish funding programme for cutting-edge research infrastructure – the lab is acquiring a 3D bioprinter to replace collagen with synthetic bioinks. This transition will eliminate the use of animal-derived extracellular matrix components, ensuring the models accurately mirror human lung biology.
“My vision is that within the next few years, all our models will be fully free of animal-derived components. This will make them not only more ethical, but also more reproducible and reliable, key features for ensuring that our findings are as relevant as possible to human health.”
Dr Dania Movia
Expert Advice
As the scientific community increasingly embraces human-specific research, sharing experiences and practical insights is essential to help others gain confidence and navigate this transition successfully. Drawing from her own experience, Dr Movia offers guidance for researchers looking to establish their own human-focused lab:
“My advice would be to be persistent and be prepared for a gradual process. Start by identifying funding sources and networks that support 3Rs or non-animal research, and don’t underestimate the value of pilot grants to get your proof-of-concept data. Be ready to troubleshoot constantly and adapt methods. Finally, build a community around your work: collaborate, share protocols, and engage with both like-minded researchers and students, who are often very motivated to work in this space.”
Dr Dania Movia
Final Thoughts
The journey of establishing the Humane Biomedical Research Group illustrates both the challenges and potential of fully human-specific research. By combining scientific rigor, creativity, and persistence, Dr Movia’s team is demonstrating that their innovative lung models can provide translationally meaningful insights. Dr Movia’s experience highlights the importance of collaboration, and targeted support, showing that sharing expertise and leveraging pilot funding are key to advancing research practices. Ultimately, the group exemplifies a forward-looking vision in which human-specific models drive scientific discovery and clinical translation.