- What is the reason for Biomedical Research?
- Who conducts biomedical research?
- What advances have been made as a result of biomedical research using animals?
- Why does it take researchers so long to come up with answers to biomedical questions?
- How will biomedical research benefit me, my family, or my community?
- Why does medical research involve the use of animals?
- Is animal use necessary?
- Even if it is necessary, is this use of animals humane?
- What kinds of animals are used?
- Why are certain species - such as dogs and cats - used?
- Where do the animals come from?
- What assurances exist that stolen or lost pets are not used in research?
- How are animals kept and cared for in a research laboratory?
- Aren't alternatives to animal use, such as computers, readily available to researchers?
- Why don't researchers use cell and tissue samples, or computer models, instead of live animals?
- How can research results derived from animal testing be extrapolated to humans?
- Why aren't humans used in place of animals for medical studies and tests?
- Haven't grave abuses of animals occurred in research institutions? If so, what has been done to curb such abuses?
- Do animals used in research experience pain and stress?
- How do researchers protect animals from pain ?
- Do animals die in the course of medical research?
- How does research benefit animals?
- What gives us the right to use animals at all?
- Why do veterinarians, who are supposed to care for sick animals, sometimes do experiments on them?
- How can I learn more about "Animal Welfare" and "Animal Rights?"
- Why not focus on prevention rather than cures?
- Why are animals used in product testing? Why not use "cruelty-free" products?
What is the reason for biomedical research?
The reason for biomedical research can be summed
up in one sentence: to improve the quality of life, and reduce
suffering, for human beings and animals in all parts of the world.
Biomedical Research focuses on developing new techniques and technologies
which we can use to benefit society in the following ways:
- Our health and the health of the people we love
- The health of our pets
- The well-being of animals in zoos, aquariums and wildlife parks
- The health and well-being of farm animals
- The well-being of wildlife and the environment
Who conducts biomedical research?
To address the many challenging health and
environmental issues which face our complex world and threaten our well-being,
a variety of organizations and individuals conduct medical research. Within
these organizations, a wide array of individuals, both scientists and
non-scientists, each with different educational backgrounds and talents, form
a framework which makes this research possible. The integration of these
diverse organizations and individuals produces research programs tailored to
meet the needs and improve the quality of many aspects of our lives.
By far, the largest portion of biomedical research is conducted by
university-based scientists through public and private universities and medical
schools, as well as hospitals and veterinary and agricultural schools.
In addition to physicians, veterinarians and their staff, the medical
research effort brings together specialists in toxicology,
biochemistry, anatomy and zoology,
as well as experts in the social sciences,
such as psychology. Non-biological disciplines, such as
chemistry, engineering, statistics
and computer science also play important roles.
Veterinarians are an integral part of the medical research effort,
and many of them have specialized in laboratory animal medicine.
Laboratory animal technologists and technicians assist the veterinarian,
not only in laboratory procedures, but also in the care and treatment of the animals.
Animal caretakers are a valuable
and essential component of all medical research laboratories which use
animals. These individuals are responsible for cleaning cages and colony rooms
on a regular schedule, as well as feeding and watering the animals and caring
for all of their non-medical needs.
The scientists and other professionals involved
in medical research projects are employed by a variety of public and private
organizations throughout the country. In the public sector, they can work for
federal and provincial agencies. The core of these programs focuses on issues
of national and international importance. Many provincial public health and
agriculture departments conduct medical research designed to solve provincial
and local problems.
In the private sector, pharmaceutical,
biotechnology and agricultural companies have ongoing research projects
related to the development of products which are used to maintain human and
animal health and treat disease. Some examples of the products these companies
develop are new medications, surgical devices, and prostheses. Other
institutional participants in the medical research effort include private
foundations and research organizations. It is the united and
co-ordinated effort of all of these organizations and individuals which allows
medical research to flourish.
What advances have been made as a result of biomedical research using animals?
Since the beginning of the 20th century, the
average life expectancy for human beings has increased from 45 to 74
years. While changes in our lifestyle (such as improved nutrition,
reduction in smoking and proper exercise) have played a part, this
dramatic increase in our life expectancy is largely due to advances in health
care as a result of medical research. This life-saving research has
depended heavily on animal studies. (Click for all the
DETAILS).
Why does it take researchers so long to come up with answers to biomedical questions?
To develop an appreciation for the time it takes
to do research, it must be understood that one discovery builds upon
another. It is very important to realize that researchers face
limitations based on the state of prevailing knowledge. Scientific advancement
may also be slowed by technical challenges in the laboratory. By learning
about the history of people involved in scientific discoveries, students will
gain an appreciation for the limitations faced by each of these scientists.
How will biomedical research benefit me, my family, or my community?
Click HERE for a partial
list of all the diseases and health problems which
research will help us solve, and technologies which
research will help to develop.
Why does biomedical research involve the use of animals?
Sometimes when they investigate human life
processes and disease, biomedical researchers can observe facts and test
hypotheses directly in human subjects. When investigating animal life
processes and disease, living animals can be used. Quite often, however,
researchers must use biological model systems as experimental
subjects to learn about human or animal systems.
A biological model system is a system
that can be observed instead of the original system, human or animal, that is
of ultimate interest to the researcher. Researchers use models
because they help to answer questions that could not be answered using the
original system with the technology and methods that exist. By using a model,
researchers increase their ability to isolate and study certain features which
would be too complex to study or impossible to isolate in the original system.
Types of models which are used in medical research include:
- Whole, living animals (including humans)
- Living systems composed of samples from the original animal (for example, tissue culture)
- Non-living mechanical or molecular systems
- Mathematical models (for example, computer simulation)
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Researchers draw upon the full range of living
things to study life processes -- from single-celled organisms to plants,
non-human animals, and human beings. Many basic biological processes are best
studied in simple organisms, because these organisms are the easiest to grow
or examine.
Mammals are very useful to researchers because
they are closest to us in evolutionary terms. For example, many diseases that
affect human beings also affect other mammals, but they do not occur in
plants, insects or bacteria.
It is sometimes possible to use models
that do not directly employ animals (for example, cell and tissue
cultures), or models which do not require animals at all (for
example, molecular systems or computer modeling). However, it is often
necessary to use whole, living animals in medical research, either as original
systems or as models. Over 90% of these research animals are rats,
mice and other rodents. Nearly every major medical research advance is based
on original studies with animals.
To understand and improve life, we humans
study the world around us. We investigate and utilize rocks and soil,
plants, microorganisms like bacteria, other animals and ourselves. We often
study animals to cure and prevent disease because their biology (their
digestive systems, circulatory systems, nervous systems, and so on) closely
resembles our own. This resemblance enables researchers to imitate human
reactions in animals and learn basic principles about all living systems.
In many cases, animals are better suited for research purposes and can provide
faster and more accurate results than humans.
The shorter life spans of most animals make them
better suited for studies where scientists must predict results in a given
lifetime or over many generations. Rats, for example, go through their life
cycles in about three years, compared to seventy years or more in humans.
Conditions such as diet, light, and temperature
can also be controlled more readily in animal studies which increase the
validity of experiment results.
For some research, it's simply not
ethical to experiment on humans. Most doctors, for instance, would
not encourage their patients to take a drug for which the side effects are not
yet known. Nor would they breed humans to get a pure genetic strain in order
to perform a study.
Is animal use necessary?
Yes, if we are to continue seeking to
understand and cure disease in both people and other animals.
Certainly, animal use would not be necessary if we were content to allow our
medical knowledge and skill to stay where it is today. But for many reasons we
can't afford that:
- Many devastating diseases -- such as rheumatoid
arthritis, AIzheimer's, diabetes,
muscular dystrophy, schizophrenia,
and many forms of cancer--still lack cures or
effective treatments.
- New diseases keep appearing. Viruses are
all around us. Billions of them, for example, may be
found in a single teaspoon of pond water. As viruses
reproduce, they can mutate to produce new viruses, which
may in turn produce new diseases such as Legionnaire's
disease and AIDS.
- We never know where science will lead us - which new
doors of knowledge will suddenly be thrown open. Often,
new scientific discoveries cast light on previously unknown,
and sometimes unexpected, possibilities. For example,
lithium was originally being used in a study of liver
metabolism, until it was found that this substance calmed
the animals to which it was given. This chance observation
ultimately led to the finding that lithium could also control
the unpredictable mood swings of manic-depressive illness.
- The more we learn, the more we see there is to learn.
In genetics, for example, we've progressed from the discovery
of genes in general, to the discovery of ways to alter genes to
fight specific diseases. And who knows what lies ahead? The fact
is, we are at the frontier of vast new knowledge in almost every
biomedical field.
Even if it's necessary, is this use of animals humane?
Nearly everyone considers finding lifesaving
cures through biomedical research to be one of humanity's highest purposes.
Accordingly, society has long considered the use of animals for
medical and scientific research to be ethically and morally acceptable, and
has set up rules and regulations to require that research animals are treated
humanely.
Further, although humans protect and provide for
themselves, they also are the only species capable of considering the needs of
other species in the process. Thus, animals also share the benefits of
health research:
- We have produced more than 200 cures for
animal diseases through research, including prevention and cures for
old diseases, such as anthrax and distemper,
and cures for newer ones, such as canine parvovirus and
feline leukemia.
- We use the results of reproductive
research --first performed on animals to benefit humans--to
save endangered species through special breeding programs.
- We also apply our knowledge to save
animal lives when diseases threaten whole animal populations.
In one case a polio epidemic threatened a colony
of wild chimpanzees. The polio vaccine--developed through research on monkeys
to save human lives--was placed in the chimpanzees' food, preventing further
spread of the disease.
The use of animals for vital research, conducted
in a humane and controlled manner, is the only ethical and intelligent way to
proceed for the benefit of all species.
What kinds of animals are used?
About 40 percent of all animals used in
medical research are rodents, whose short life span,
ease of breeding, and similarity to human biology fits many scientific
purposes. The majority of other animals used are fish (in
35 percent of experiments) and birds (in
12 percent).
The choice of species is a carefully
thought-out process. Even what seems like the most unlikely species
may be used to satisfy particular requirements. For example, crayfish are used
to study muscle functions. Armadillos are used to study
leprosy. Pigs are used to study flu and to
develop new surgical techniques.
Less than one percent of animals used in
medical research are cats and dogs -- often used to study the nervous
and circulatory systems. About 0.1% or one tenth of one
percent are non-human primates such as monkeys,
which are of particular importance to study of the brain and the development
of human vaccines.
Why are certain species, such as dogs and cats, used?
Various diseases occur naturally in both
man and animals. Certain animals are very susceptible to some human
diseases; for example, one particular strain of rat develops diabetes as a
natural part of its life cycle and this is particularly useful in studying
that illness.
Fewer than 1% of all animals used in
research are dogs and cats. In fact, over 90% of all animals used in
research are specially-bred rodents, fish and birds. A particular type of
animal is selected for its ability to provide the most reliable data and
predict outcomes for treatments in humans and animals, and are often chosen
for their similarities to humans. Dogs have provided valuable information
bout diabetes, heart disease,
kidney disease, transplants and general
surgical procedures. Cats have provided a wealth of information about
the visual system, cardiac treatments and procedures,
as well as vaccines for both animals and humans.
Where do the animals come from?
Fish, rats, mice and guinea pigs are raised and
sold by licensed breeding laboratories. Rabbits and farm
animals are purchased from suppliers whose operations are carefully
regulated. The very few primates which are required are purchased
from certified suppliers.
Some dogs and cats used in research labs are
purchased from licensed facilities, and some are obtained through
public animal shelters and pounds. In Ontario, for example,
legislation requires a minimum waiting period in the shelter in order to give
an owner the chance to reclaim a missing animal. At the expiry of this
period, an unclaimed animal will be sold to a member of the public, made
available, on request, to a licensed research institution, or put to death in
the pound or shelter.
Every year over one million abandoned
dogs and cats are killed in shelters or pounds. Medical research
needs fewer than one percent of these unclaimed and doomed animals. In
Canada, the single largest cause of death of dogs and cats is euthanasia in
shelters, pounds, and veterinary clinics. In fact, for each dog
or cat used in research, 100 are killed in pounds and shelters because they
are unwanted or have been abandoned.
Most animals used in medical research are
specifically bred for that purpose. This is because some studies
require animals that have known genetic history and/or specific traits.
Less than half of one percent of
animals used in research are primates, which includes monkeys and chimpanzees.
Because these species are closest to humans in genetic make-up and in many
physical and behavioral traits, some people are more concerned about their use
in research than they are about the use of mice, rats or fish. Yet,
the very similarities of non-human primates to humans make these animals the
only suitable stand-ins for research involving such complex systems as the
brain or the immune system. Thus, research on AIDS
or hepatitis presently and for the forseeable future will require the use of
certain primate models.
In fact, our success in developing vaccines for
hepatitis gives us every reason to believe that an AIDS
vaccine for humans can, indeed, result from the benefits of primate research.
Currently, rhesus monkeys are vital to AIDS vaccine research,
and the chimpanzee is the only animal on which certain developments in
paediatric AIDS can be studied.
What assurances exist that stolen or lost pets are not used in research?
In Ontario, legislation requires a minimum
waiting period in the shelter in order to give an owner the chance to reclaim
a missing animal. The animal can, however, be held as long as may be
deemed necessary for adoption. At the expiry of this period, an
unclaimed animal will be sold to a member of the public, made available, on
request, to a licensed research institution, or put to death in the pound or
shelter.
For example, the Ontario Animals for Research Act continues to be one of the most
comprehensive pieces of legislation protecting research animals in North
America. Originally, the Animals for Research Act was a response to the needs
of medical research for a regulated source of dogs that did not rely on animal
dealers. The Act eliminates the chance of "dognapping" for research. One of
the main purposes of the Act is to assure that dogs and cats used for research
are obtained legally after all reasonable opportunities for
owner retrieval or adoption have been satisfied.
Before the advent of the Animals for Research Act,
animal dealers sold cats and dogs to research facilities. There were no
controls in place for the sale of these animals. Often housing facilities were
inadequate. Furthermore, there was no method to determine if animals
sold for research had been stolen from owners. The Act further protects pet
animals by requiring the following:
- The poundkeeper keep an impounded dog
or cat for at least 3 full days. This redemption period does not
include the day the animal entered the pound or any days the pound remains
closed to the public. After the redemption period has expired, the poundkeeper
may keep the animal for as long as desired.
- During the redemption period, the poundkeeper take all reasonable steps to find the owner.
- Records be kept on all impounded animals.
How are animals kept and cared for in research laboratories?
Living conditions for animals used in medical
research are carefully prescribed by veterinarians and other experts on the
species being used. Living standards are designed to consider animal
health and well-being, including diet, temperature, cleanliness and
environment.
Appropriate, humane animal care is a basic
necessity in medical research. This is true not only for ethical reasons, but
also because scientists cannot obtain valid results from mistreated animals.
Don't forget that scientists are people too. Like most people, they do not
want animals to come to unnecessary harm.
The Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) is a national
organization with a mandate to work for the constant improvement of
animal care and use on a Canada-wide basis. CCAC assessment
panels evaluate animal care and use in Canadian universities and
community colleges and government and commercial laboratories where animals
are housed and used. An in-depth site visit is performed every three
years. Unannounced visits may be made at any time.
If any institution is found to be in
non-compliance with CCAC guidelines, all granting agencies and relevant
government ministries and departments are notified; and the institution's
research funding is placed in jeopardy.
In addition, under the Animals for
Research Act, all research facilities in Ontario must be registered
annually. The Act also requires the use of anaesthetics and analgesics
to prevent unnecessary pain in the animals. The Animals for Research Act
regulates the minimum standards for animal housing, procedures and care. The
CCAC guidelines strive for optimal conditions and constant improvement, and
are ever-changing as new information on animal health becomes available.
Aren't alternatives to animal use -- such as computers, widely available to medical researchers?
Scientists use a combination of methods to answer
a biomedical question. Indeed, the phrase "alternative" is very misleading, as
there are a large variety of experimental techniques, all of which were
developed by scientists.
Experimental methods that often do not use
animals directly include chemical, mechanical, mathematical and
computer models. They are theoretical and often useful, especially
during preliminary stages of research. However, they rely heavily upon
information previously obtained from animal experiments.
A biological model system is a system that can be observed instead
of the original system, human or animal, that is of ultimate interest
to the researcher. Researchers use models because they help to answer
questions that could not be answered using the original system with
the technology and methods that exist. By using a model, researchers
increase their ability to isolate and study certain features which would be
too complex to study or impossible to isolate in the original system.
It is sometimes possible to use alternative
models that do not directly employ animals (for example, cell and tissue
cultures), or models which do not require animals at all (for example,
molecular systems or computer modeling). However, it is often necessary to use
whole, living animals in biomedical research, either as original systems or as
models. Over 90 percent of these research animals are rats, mice and other
rodents. Nearly every major biomedical research advance was based on original
studies with animals.
Scientists do use computers--often simply (or
primarily) to keep animal use to a minimum. Yet, although they are useful
supplements to animal studies, neither computers nor cell cultures can
replace animals in research. There are still too many basic processes
in biology about which we know far too little. Computers, however advanced,
can serve only as an aid in analyzing the complexity of the living body--they
cannot duplicate it. In other words, a computer can be programmed to
respond the way a monkey would, but only if it is provided with data obtained
from monkeys.
In vitro techniques refer to experiments which are
performed in laboratory containers, such as test tubes, and use
living tissues or cells or fluids obtained from animals or people.
These methods reduce the use of animals at early and intermediate
stages of research. However, very often, these methods rely on enzymes, cells,
tissues or organs taken from animals. In vitro methods allow the
study of a substance's effect in isolation from other biological activities.
Information from this source must be confirmed in an intact living
body (in vivo), which is the only way to study interactions between
body systems, on which life depends.
Scientists are always looking for improved research methods,
including such techniques as cell cultures and tissue studies.
But, simply put, no technological "fix"
exists for the study of actual complex living systems. As a result,
the vast majority of scientists believe that using animals to discover and
test new knowledge is a need that will continue as long as there are still
things we don't fully understand about how the body works, and as long as
there are still diseases needing new and better treatments.
Why don't researchers use cell and tissue samples or computer models instead of live animals?
Researchers use every appropriate method
to study diseases. In all areas of research, cell and tissue culture
methods are commonplace. Analysis of scientific journals show that cell
culture methods were used in 15,000 experiments between 1884-1950; in 50,000
experiments between 1950-1960; and in 114,000 experiments in 1976 alone. These
cell and tissue cultures allow scientists to grow viruses,
track defective genes, study cancer cells
and assay drugs; but, cultures require large amounts of
animal sera to nourish the cells.
There is vast and expanding use of
computers in research today. For example, scientists have developed
computer models of human eye-movements and nerve impulses within the eye. This
information eventually may be used to treat some forms of blindness. In the
classroom setting, electronic machines are used as teaching aids. It
is important to remember, however, that data for the computer models are
derived mainly from animal studies. Thus even these methods require data or
products from animals.
Radioimmunoassays have greatly
reduced the numbers of animals required to measure hormones, toxins, and
drugs, but require animals to produce antibodies. There are no known
replacements for animals in many areas, such as the study of blood
pressure, cardiovascular function, brain and
behavior studies, and any phenomena that require the interactions of
complete living systems.
No computer or cell culture can mimic a complex
process, of which only a small part is known. When a drug is swallowed it
meets millions of substances in the body. Some of them we do not know about.
Isolated cells do not have diarrhea, or suffer circulatory or kidney failure.
Computers only "know" as much as we teach them.
To summarize, these additional methods of
research (known as adjuncts) do play an important role in
biomedical research, but they can not replace animals entirely. Animals are
still the vital factor in biomedical research.
How can research results derived from animal testing be extrapolated to humans?
There are striking similarities between the
physiological systems of humans and various species of animals. For example,
much of what we know about the immune system has come from
studies with mice, and much of what we know about the cardiovascular
system has come from studies with dogs.
Research results from animals also provide the
information necessary to design human trials that must be completed for legal
approval of new devices, drugs or procedures. It is important to be
able to gauge how a new drug or procedure will affect a whole biological
system before using it on humans. This is critical for scientific as
well as ethical reasons. Laboratory animals are an integral part of the
research process. In fact, virtually every major medical advance of the last
century is due, in part, to research with animals.
Why aren't humans used in place of animals for medical studies and tests?
In fact, humans are used whenever it is
possible and ethical to do so. Human (clinical) research is a large
component of biomedical research. The purpose of using animals is to
enable medical researchers to bring new medical discoveries to the point where
they can be tested and used on humans.
Scientists, for example, cannot infect pregnant
women with diseases to test the effectiveness of new medicines on fetuses:
they must first use other methods. To understand this, it helps to see
scientific research as a series of steps. At early stages,
scientists perform simple tasks, such as studying cell cultures in laboratory
dishes. At the most advanced states, scientists perform
complex research on complex systems, including testing new drugs on people.
In between, the stages may include investigations using a
wide range of species, from simple bacteria to rats to higher animals like
dogs, pigs, and monkeys.
Animal testing links a new idea or possible cure
(first observed in a test tube or on a computer) to the patient. Often, too,
results from animal studies suggest needed corrections to an original computer
model.
Haven't grave abuses of animals occurred in research institutions? If so, what has been done to curb such abuses?
Although allegations of grave
mistreatment of animals in medical research are sometimes made, they are
rarely substantiated as made. Remember, scientists have chosen their
profession so that they can end disease and suffering -
not cause it.
Scientists are animal lovers and pet
owners too. Like you and I, they have no desire or reason to
cause animals suffering.
Mistreatment is not the norm but the
exception. In the rare cases where actual abuses have occurred, the
appropriate authorities have taken a variety of corrective actions, including
the withdrawal of grant money to institutions where wrongdoing has been found.
Even in these instances, the wrongdoing has usually involved
carelessness rather than deliberate cruelty.
In addition, standards for treating animals
humanely have been strengthened substantially in recent years through
strengthening laws and guidelines.
For example, U.S. Federal law presently provides
for stiff financial penalties per instance for uncorrected violations of
federal regulations for the care and treatment of laboratory animals.
Throughout the country, other laws and regulations also provide for the humane
care and treatment of research animals. Remember, scientists need
healthy animals for research.
Do animals used in research experience pain and stress?
Animals do experience pain in research
being done specifically to study pain, or where the use of painkillers would
adversely affect the scientific results. However, such experiments
(which represent less than 3 percent of all animal studies) are necessary
so that scientists may develop better painkillers and safer
anaesthetics and thereby benefit both humans and animals.
A fraction of the research experiments may
involve some discomfort or pain such as that experienced when
recovering from surgical procedures. In these cases, the
animals receive anaesthetics and/or pain-killers - just as
humans do when they have surgery. But the vast majority of biomedical
research experiments do not involve any pain or discomfort.
When research animals must be used in the
small percentage of modern pain studies, scientists usually set the pain
levels on themselves first, and therefore, animals are exposed to minimal pain
discomfort.
Furthermore, the conditions animals
experience in laboratories are almost always much less severe than conditions
they would face in the wild. For instance, in the laboratory, animals
are protected from predators and the daily search for food, and they receive
veterinary care to protect them from disease and parasites.
Accordingly, laboratory animals often have much
longer life expectancies than wild animals. For rats in the wild, a year is a
long lifetime. Most live an average of three months. Laboratory rats, on
the other hand, have a life expectancy of three to five years. Life is also
harsh in their natural habitat for many other species, such as the
well-studied African monkey, the vervet. Only 27 percent of these animals live
to reach maturity in the wild.
The use of animals in research and testing is
strictly controlled, particularly regarding potential pain. For example, the
Animals for Research Act (Ontario) regulates the alleviation
and elimination of pain, as well as such aspects of animal care as caging,
feeding, exercise of dogs and the psychological well-being of primates.
Further, each institution must establish an animal care and use committee that
includes an outside member of the public as well as a veterinarian. This
committee oversees, inspects and monitors every potential experiment to help
ensure optimal animal care.
The scientific community advocates the
highest quality of animal care and treatment for two key reasons.
First, the use of animals in research is a privilege, and those animals that
are helping us unlock the mysteries of disease deserve our respect and the
best possible care. Second, a well-treated animal will provide more reliable
scientific results, which is the goal of all researchers.
How do researchers protect animals from pain ?
Stringent laws, such as those passed by the
Government of Ontario and regulations and guidelines laid down and
administered by the Canadian Council on Animal Care, demand
that anaesthetics be used for all operations. Postoperative pain killers are
used.
Regulations require that specially equipped
medical kits be kept near the animals at all times in case complications arise
after surgery. All operations are carried out in accordance with established
veterinary practices. Animals are monitored by trained laboratory animal
workers throughout their recovery, and provided with analgesics.
Do animals die in the course of medical research?
Yes. To develop cures or treatments for
illnesses such as genetic disorders, brain and spinal injuries, heart and
kidney disease and many others, it is necessary for many of
these animals to be put down at the end of the experiments in order to study
their tissues.
But it is important for us to remember that many
thousands of human (and animal) deaths, as well as much unrelieved suffering,
would occur if medical cures and treatments were not developed through animal
research.
For example, 30,000 rhesus monkeys were used to
develop the polio vaccine in the 1950's. The threat of polio has
virtually disappeared in North America since then - a great contrast
to the more than 35,000 children each year who previously
were left permanently crippled from this terrible disease.
How does research benefit animals?
The payoff from this research has been tremendous
for all animals, wild or domesticated, through vaccines, improved
nutrition technology, protection of endangered species, surgical techniques
and orthopedics.
Responsible, humane care and use of animals has
long been rooted in the ethical values of civilized societies throughout the
world. In North America, this traditional philosophy of caring for the welfare
of animals has included the provision of such services as animal shelters and
pet care education.
Over time, increased priority has been
given to protecting endangered species and habitats. Biomedical
research contributes bly to animal diversity and preservation. This ethic
of providing responsible care to animals has been reinforced as we have
acquired more knowledge about nature and its complex and fascinating
interactions. Scientists do not capture endangered or threatened species (such
as chimpanzees) except to help preserve them.
Biomedical researchers also provide good
veterinary care to pets and domesticated animals. Moreover, modern
veterinary care often treats animals with medicines and techniques that were
originally developed for humans--through animal research. Animals in
the wild have also been helped in this way. For example, chimpanzees
threatened by a polio epidemic have been saved by the polio vaccine first
developed to save lives through research on rhesus monkeys.
Click HERE for more details.
What gives us the right to use animals at all?
The question of rights is really a philosophical
one. There is no natural law that imparts "rights", as such, to any species.
All are driven by one essential instinct; the drive to survive. For many,
survival means preying on, and consuming, other species as food.
Humans differ from animals in their
ability to make choices, to foretell the consequences of their actions, and to
formulate abstract concepts such as "rights." In the final analysis,
individuals or groups have only those rights that a particular society chooses
to grant them, and this can differ significantly from one human society to
another. Furthermore, although animals do have an instinctive aversion to
death, they have no concepts of mortality and no religious or philosophical
systems. Humans, however, have capacity for abstract thought and have created
writing and documentation of history and thought, mathematics and science, and
artistic creations such as music, art, literature and architecture.
The use of animals in research is a
privilege that must be carefully guarded to assure human and animal relief
from the specter of disease and suffering. To ignore human and animal
suffering is irresponsible and unethical. Nearly every major medical advance
of the 20th century has depended largely on research with animals. Our best
hope for developing preventions, treatments and cures for diseases such as
Alzheimer's, AIDS, and cancer
will also involve biomedical research using animals.
In fact, research on animals is in many cases an
obligation. According to the Nuremburg Code, drawn up after World War
II as a result of Nazi atrocities, any experiments on humans "should be
designed and based on the results of animal experimentation."
Difficult as it may be to imagine, the Nazis had outlawed animal
experimentation, but allowed experiments on "Jews and asocial persons." The
Declaration of Helsinki, adopted in 1964 by the 18th World
Medical Assembly and revised in 1975, also states that medical
research on human subjects "should be based on adequately performed laboratory
and animal experimentation."
It is crucial to distinguish between
animal rights and animal welfare. The scientific community supports animal
welfare, which means guaranteeing the health and well-being of these animals.
The concept of rights has long gone hand-in-hand
with privileges and responsibilities, all of which are designed to help a
society function smoothly and to avoid chaos and anarchy.
The idea that rights should be extended to other
species, which cannot exercise privileges or assume duties or
responsibilities, is a new one. A better question would be: "How
can our society extend "rights" to other species, and what would that mean?"
It is very important to distinguish
between granting rights and assuming responsibility. Humans have
already assumed stewardship for animals through such activities as passing
laws to protect them from abuse, legally protecting threatened species and
establishing wildlife preserves.
To grant animals total equal rights with
humans would mean no use of animals by people for any reason, including eating
meat, having pets, wearing leather, testing consumer products for safety, and
developing new medical cures and techniques through animal research (which is
currently the only way we can do it).
Human life has a very special value.
Animals must be valued and treated well and respected in appropriate ways, but
not recreated as people.
There are no pat answers, only difficult
choices. To make those choices rationally, society needs to be
well-informed. People should consider the crucial work of organizations such
as The Heart and Stroke Foundation, The Parkinson's Foundation, The Multiple
Sclerosis Society and the many other similar organizations which exist, in
order to have more knowledge and a deeper appreciation on this issue. We do
have special compelling obligations to our own species and its protection, but
that protection includes the necessity to use animals wisely (the Animal
Welfare philosophy and movement).
Why do veterinarians, who are supposed to care for sick animals, sometimes do experiments on them?
Veterinarians, who have chosen their profession
because of their concern for animals, are intimately involved in the care and
treatment of laboratory animals. They realize that results of animal
research improve the health of animals as well as humans. In fact,
many of the advances in veterinary medicine are the direct result of
research with animals. The parvovirus vaccine,
routinely administered by veterinarians, has saved the lives of many dogs.
Pacemakers for both humans and animals were developed through
research on dogs. Research in reproductive physiology on
animals has helped save certain species from extinction. Distemper
vaccines, tested on Siberian polecats, have resulted in the
revitalization of the waning black-footed ferret population.
In addition, the growing field of laboratory
animal medicine has refined the care and treatment of laboratory animals,
making the animals healthier and more comfortable. The scientific community
realizes that quality laboratory animal care ensures more reliable scientific
results, and therefore, it is in its best interest to treat laboratory animals
with respect.
How Can I Get More Information on "Animal Welfare" and "Animal Rights?"
We offer the following links to aid you
in reaching a broader understanding of this subject.
Animal Welfare advocates support
the humane treatment and responsible use of animals. In the research domain,
animal welfare supporters work toward ensuring that animals are used only when
necessary, and that they are treated humanely.
For information on Animal Welfare, consider these links:
Animal Rights proponents oppose
all use of animals for all human purposes. They feel that animals should not
be used in any way, and would prefer a society in which there are, among other
things, no pets, no farm animals, and no animal-based research into
the prevention or treatment of diseases of animals or humans.
For information on Animal Rights, consider these links:
Why not focus on prevention rather than cures?
Prevention is very important in dealing with many
diseases. It is only through research that the knowledge of prevention
arises.
However, not all illnesses can be prevented. For
instance, many people are seen in emergency rooms every day, as victims of
accidents, and require surgery. Ongoing research into new methods, including
surgical techniques, ensures that we face the best possible chance of
surviving an accident with the least possibility of permanent injury.
Also, many individuals inherit incurable
diseases and look to research to discover treatments and cures. Much
of this research is supported by organizations such as the Alzheimer Society
of Canada, ALS Society, Arthritis Association, Canadian Cancer Society,
Canadian Diabetes Association, Heart and Stroke Foundation, Kidney Foundation,
Liver Society, Lung Association, March of Dimes, Muscular Dystrophy Society,
Parkinson's Society, and the Schizophrenia Society.
Why are animals used in product testing? Why not use "cruelty-free" products?
The answer to this lies in the definition of
"cruelty-free". Many stores advertise that their product is
cruelty-free and assert that they have not done any animal testing in
formulating their product.
It is important to understand that many of the
chemicals in their formulation have been tested on animals,
perhaps by other companies when the chemicals were first introduced.
In essence, they are utilizing the product testing done by other companies. In
some cases, this permits a company to distance itself from the crucial testing
that is necessary for the safety of their product.
Chemicals on occasion may not have been tested on
animals, but were administered to humans, essentially acting as the test
subjects, many years before the advent of consumer product testing and safety
standards. Such chemicals may be accepted as being safe for use although not
tested on animals.
Indeed, any product already established
as safe does not need to be re-tested. Keep in mind, though, that
every chemical invented to help people is a potential killer if not tested or
used properly. Whether it is used occasionally or repeatedly, as a medication,
food additive or industrial or farm product, all unknown chemicals
must undergo tests to determine if they will have harmful effects on humans.
Toxicity tests show how lethal a new chemical is
and how to use it safely. In poison control centres, doctors know best how to
treat an overdose or how to counteract an accidental poisoning because of
acute toxicity tests in animals. When you splash soap in your eyes you may
experience a burning sensation. It is because of product testing that
we know that this product will not harm your eyes or damage your sight.
Toxicity testing also provides
information about how a drug acts, what are the organs it affects, and what
are its symptoms and carcinogenicity (the potential to cause cancer).
Toxicity testing provides the information required for WHMIS (Workplace Hazard
Materials Inventory System) which is required in all workplaces using
potentially harmful products and for labeling which helps us to use dangerous
chemicals safely and avoid environmental catastrophes.
In the event of an environmental catastrophe such
as the poisoning of thousands of people in Bhopal, India, information from
toxicity testing in animals gave the best idea where to devote limited medical
resources to best aid the victims of this disaster.
It is important to remember the circumstances
that led to the safety testing of all new consumer ingredients and products,
particularly cosmetics. As recently as several decades ago, consumers
were subjected to products that were not adequately tested prior to use,
resulting in reports of permanent harm, including blindness.
Product safety testing ensures that products are
safe when used as directed, and provides scientific data for poison control
centers and emergency room physicians in the event a product is misused.
Adequate testing of products is both a moral and legal obligation to
the public. The use of animals in product safety testing provides a
whole, living system that can reflect how certain substances will react in or
on the body.
The term "cruelty-free" is often
misused and misunderstood. Companies that claim they conduct no animal testing
either contract testing to an outside laboratory or use compounds tested
previously on animals to be proven safe.
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