The Goals and Priorities of Biomedical
Research
North
Americans are both the creators and the beneficiaries of one of the
highest standards of living in the world. This gives us the ability
to direct our efforts toward maintaining and improving both our
natural environment and our personal lives. It is our bond with
animals that makes much of our success in that endeavour possible
through medical research, and the knowledge we gain is used not only
to improve our own lives, but also to enhance the well-being of
animals and the environment.
Medical research has direct effects on:
Our
health and the health of the people we love.
Life-saving medical research using
animal models has already produced many medical advances which we
take for granted. These include a vaccine against polio; insulin for
insulin-dependent diabetics; blood pressure medication to prevent
heart attack, stroke and kidney failure; hip and joint replacements
for those who suffer from arthritis; and coronary bypass surgery, to
name just a few examples.
Without continued medical research, we
will not be able to develop new surgical techniques; cure diabetes,
cystic fibrosis, AIDS or cancer; conquer heart disease, and test
products and medications which save lives.
The health of our pets.
Pets
promote the health and happiness of millions of people. While pet
owners are leading longer, healthier lives, so are our pets. Much
research still needs to be done to conquer the diseases that
prematurely claim the lives of our beloved pets. Already, advances
in research have made possible vaccines which protect them against
feline leukemia, canine parvovirus, rabies and distemper.
Medication is readily available to prevent canine heartworm and to
treat roundworm and hookworm infection. Treatment is available for
pets with hip and joint problems, vitamin deficiencies, cancer and
heart diseases -- all thanks to research in medicine.
The well-being of animals in zoos,
aquariums and wildlife parks.
Zoos,
aquariums and wildlife parks are valuable community resources.
Medical research using animals is needed to learn how to improve the
physical facilities of the animals to ensure the health, behavioral
integrity and longevity of captive species. Many of these facilities
also need medical research to achieve success in breeding
techniques, such as embryo transfer techniques, to help endangered
species reproduce.
The health and well-being of farm
animals.
Farm
animals provide us with nourishment and we, in turn, have a special
obligation to care for their health and environment. Medical
research has improved the health of farm animals with vaccines
against such diseases as anthrax, blue tongue in sheep, hog cholera
and Newcastle disease in poultry, and medications to treat their
diseases.
The well-being of wildlife and the
environment.
Medical research plays a vital role in studies which are designed to
protect and enhance wildlife habitat and manage wild populations of
animals. For example, certain wild species of fish and birds, serve
as sensitive indicators of environmental contamination.
Medical Research Priorities
-
Understanding of basic
biological processes.
-
Understanding of disease
mechanisms for the treatment and prevention of animal
disease.
-
Knowledge of the factors
involved in human and animal well-being and their
relationships to human and animal health.
-
Improved food safety
through the control of both disease agents and
contaminants in food.
-
Preservation of endangered
species through captive breeding and development of new
reproductive techniques for endangered species in the
wild.
-
Knowledge of the impact of
environmental change on human and animal populations.
|
