The mouse genome was decoded a few years ago and is relatively simple to manipulate from a technical standpoint, which makes mice the essential test subjects as they offer researchers insight into the genetic foundations of life processes and diseases. Growing public opposition to the practice has, however, forced some governments to give statements on the practice. No experiment, no matter how painful or trivial, is prohibited—and painkillers are not even required. Video footage from inside laboratories shows that many animals cower in fear every time someone walks by their cage. Self- interest: animal test doesn't hurt human, and it helps human. Also in pharmaceutical industry, animal testing can reduce the death of human life in new drug development. Asbestos causes lung cancer in both humans and rats.Â. Animals share genes responsible for body structures that later modified in the course of evolutio… No matter how many tests on animals are undertaken, someone will always be the first human to be tested on. Reduction refers to the use of a minimal number of animals to obtain maximum data or information. Ethics dictate that the value of each life in and of itself cannot be superseded by its potential value to anyone else. Animal Testing and Medicine. 4. Because animals and humans have similar properties, the process of animal testing is done for research to benefit humanity, and for that reason, it is permissible to sacrifice animals since it’s done for a good cause. On the other hand, opponents of animal experiments have many justification of their opinion. Both of them make up 43% of the total expenditure for medical research. While it is important to provide a full explanation of the reasons why animal research and testing is important for modern medicine, it can sometimes be useful to have a handful of short pro animal research one-liners on hand. Molecular genetics can prove that all organisms on earth have the same origin. Epidemiological and clinical studies have determined that most cancers are caused by smoking and by eating high-fat foods, foods high in animal protein, and foods containing artificial colors and other harmful additives. No environmentalist can be true to him/herself if they inflict pain on other creatures.” ~ Michael Tobias Yes, there have been instances of animal trials benefiting humankind. A Decade of Despair: Urge UW-Madison to Send Cornelius to a Sanctuary. “Many experiments are not painful to animals and are therefore justified.” The only U.S. law that governs the use of animals in laboratories, the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), allows animals to be burned, shocked, poisoned, isolated, starved, forcibly restrained, addicted to drugs, and brain-damaged. About 90% of drugs that show promising results during animal testing fail during human trials. “We have to observe the complex interactions of cells, tissues, and organs in living animals.” Taking healthy beings from a completely different species, artificially inducing a condition that they would never normally contract, keeping them in an unnatural and stressful environment, and trying to apply the results to naturally occurring diseases in human beings is dubious at best. The disorder can be treated for hemophilia based on gene therapy developed for humans. Fortunately for patients suffering from both ailments, the drugs made it to the market. By submitting this form, you are agreeing to our collection, storage, use, and disclosure of your personal info in accordance with our privacy policy as well as to receiving e-mails from us. Similarly, plastic solvents also cause liver cancer in both humans and rats. A 2014 review paper co-authored by a Yale School of Medicine professor in the prestigious medical journal The BMJ documented the overwhelming failure of experiments on animals to improve human health. More information about the failure of experiments on animals can be found here. It explains how tamoxifen, an effective drug for certain types of breast cancer, would have been abandoned if its ability to cause liver tumors in rats was discovered during testing as opposed to after being released to the market. The results from animal testing are not reliable. The experimental tissue is typically preserved in a suitable medium for days to years. PETA Calls Out Monkey Experimenters’ Lies: Close Down Monkey Prisons! Finally, testing for the cosmetic industry is now banned in many countries. We ask two experts for their arguments for and against animal testing ... FOR: Animals play a small but vital role in research. Computer modeling, which is also known as in silico modeling involves the use of sophisticated computer models that simulate the progression of diseases and human biology. When we speak about animal testing cons, there are plenty of emotional and ethical issues staring in our faces. Animal testing helps to lessen the risk of an unplanned event occurring when humans use or ingest the products that are part of the animal testing experiment. Are Former Soviet Member Countries More Religious Today? Human tissue-based methods are also used to test the potential toxicity of chemicals and for research into burns, allergies, asthma, and cancer. The most significant trend in modern research is the recognition that animals rarely serve as good models for the human body. Laboratories often do not allow social interactions, provide family groups or companions, or offer grooming possibilities, nests, or surfaces softer than metal. The animal died because no direct benefit for human occurred. Proposition: Testing Cosmetics and pharmaceuticals on animals prior to human use should not be a legal way to determine effects and results. Vioxx, Phenactin, E-Ferol, Oraflex, Zomax, Suprol, Selacryn, and many other drugs have had to be pulled from the market in recent years because of adverse reactions experienced by people taking them. The argument also ignores the reasoning ability of many animals, including pigs who demonstrate measurably sophisticated approaches to solving problems and primates who not only use tools but also teach their offspring how to use them. For example, animals cannot think, show other psychological symptoms as humans. But in laboratories, primates are often caged alone. Because animal tests are so unreliable, they make those human trials all the more risky. Furthermore, according to the World Health Organization, cancer is largely preventable, yet most health organizations that focus on cancer spend a pittance on prevention programs, such as public education. Chinchillas With Eyes Oozing Pus, Exposed Bones Suffer at Breeding Mill, Tell This Drug Giant to Ban Near-Drowning Tests, Huge PETA Win! The British Royal Society, which supports animal experimentation, has argued that virtually all medical achievements in the 20th century have had to rely on the use of animals in some way. Both mice and rats are also the most commonly used for organ extraction. While experiments on animals have been conducted during the course of some discoveries, this does not mean that animals were vital to the discovery or are predictive of human health outcomes or that the same discoveries would not have been made without using animals. Animal don't have the ability to consent the tests forced upon them. Birds and fish are also used for specific experiments. The HμREL biochip uses living human cells to detect the effects of a drug or chemical on multiple interacting organs, VaxDesign’s Modular Immune in vitro Construct (MIMIC®) system uses human cells to create a working dime-sized human immune system for testing vaccines, and Harvard researchers have developed a human tissue-based “lung-on-a-chip” that can “breathe” and be used to estimate the effects of inhaled chemicals on the human respiratory system. “Almost all of us grew up eating meat, wearing leather, and going to circuses and zoos. It concluded that “if research conducted on animals continues to be unable to reasonably predict what can be expected in humans, the public’s continuing endorsement and funding of preclinical animal research seems misplaced.”. The transfer of treatment methods is relatively easy since methods practiced in human medicine were developed through animal testing. The techniques are also relevant to human health. Stay up to date on the latest vegan trends and get breaking animal rights news delivered straight to your inbox! Replacement refers to the preferred use of non-animal methods whenever possible. Animal experimentation is done to clarify previously unknown life processes and fundamental biological relationships. Even when alternatives to the use of animals are available, U.S. law does not require that they be used—and often they aren’t. Between 1900 and 2000, life expectancy in the United States increased from 47 to 77 years. While incidences of heart disease and strokes have recently shown slight declines—because of a change in lifestyle factors, such as diet and smoking, rather than any medical advances—cancer rates continue to rise, and alcohol- and drug-treatment centers, prenatal care programs, community mental health clinics, and trauma units continue to close because they lack sufficient funds. The authors of this study point out that animal “models” of human cancer created through techniques such as grafting human tumors onto mice can be poor predictors of how a drug will work in humans. Animals themselves benefit from the results of animal testing. Animal testing is wasteful and costly: In the past, animal experimentation might have led to … For whatever reason, you are now asking the question: Why should animals have rights?” READ MORE, — Ingrid E. Newkirk, PETA President and co-author of Animalkind. For the animals themselves, they often have to be purchased, which is another considerable cost. Animal testing could be used in psychology research. However, the return on that investment has been dismal. In cases where animal experiments are standardized, the translation of results may also fail due to differences between the human condition and the experimental animal model. Some of the alternative methods include in vitro testing and in-silico modeling. 1. Other species are used to some extent. This gives the researchers a chance to see the effects of the experiments on the progeny too. Furthermore, animals such as mice and rabbits usually reproduce very quickly. A November 2004 article in Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science examined 80 published papers and concluded that “significant fear, stress, and possibly distress are predictable consequences of routine laboratory procedures” including seemingly benign practices such as blood collection and handling. About 23.7% of animals are used for safety checks, toxicology tests, and quality tests to ensure safety for drugs that come into contact with humans. An article published in the esteemed Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine has even evaluated this very claim and concluded that it was not supported by any evidence. And of the small percentage of drugs approved for human use, half end up being relabeled because of side effects that were not identified in tests on animals. Written by a cardiologist, this article provides a brief overview … Donate now! “Animals are here for humans to use. Studies have shown that computer models can accurately predict ways in which new drugs can react in the human body. If corporations stick to legally required testing of their products on animals, they cannot easily be held liable if the product turns out to be harmful to humans. When animal experimentation is entirely unavoidable, there is a consensus that the testing should be restricted to a necessary minimum. Of course not! A 2009 survey by researchers at Newcastle University found that mice and rats who underwent painful, invasive procedures, such as skull surgeries, burn experiments, and spinal surgeries, were provided with post-procedural pain relief only about 20 percent of the time. We can now test skin irritation using reconstructed human tissues (e.g., MatTek’s EpiDermTM), produce and test vaccines using human tissues, and perform pregnancy tests using blood samples instead of killing rabbits. 5. Penicillin kills guinea pigs. Poor animal care is not good science. Both basic research and translational and applied research are interconnected. Misleading data from animal tests can result in clinical trials of harmful or faulty substances, therefore exposing humans to unnecessary risks. It also mentions that the number of saved people’s lives is enormous owing to the sacrificed lives of animals. Vaccines tested on animals have saved millions of animals that would otherwise have died from rabies, distemper, feline leukemia, infectious hepatitis virus, tetanus, anthrax, and canine parvo virus. To decide whether animal testing is beneficial or not, it is best that you start learning its positive sides first like the following:Treatments Developed So any testing for psychotic drugs on animals will not be sufficient to equate with human subjects. Advanced microchips that use real human cells and tissues to construct fully functioning postage stamp–size organs allow researchers to study diseases and also develop and test new drugs to treat them. Gleevec, which is used to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia, would also have been abandoned as it showed adverse effects in five species tested, including dogs, which experienced severe liver damage when exposed to the drug. Not only that, the procedure usually takes place over the course of several months, accumulating more expenses for firms relying on it. Those in opposition to animal testing primarily base their arguments on ethics, morality, and the unreliable nature of using animals as test subjects. We can beat cancer by taking these human-derived, human-relevant data into account and implementing creative methods to encourage healthier lifestyle choices. Animal testing is carried out worldwide. Also, test a new drug and treatment is necessary and vital for humanity because humans are the future generation and it is very important and critical to saving their life. In such experiments, one can conclude the efficacy and safety tests on animals can significantly minimize the risk of new treatment methods on humans. Thus, the results of animal testing … Although many have mixed feelings about animal testing, it is something that we must address and take seriously, realizing that it is a horrible act upon innocent animals. But is it something we totally can’t do without? Researchers from the Yale School of Medicine and several British universities published a paper in The BMJ titled “Where Is the Evidence That Animal Research Benefits Humans?” The researchers systematically examined studies that used animals and concluded that little evidence exists to support the idea that experimentation on animals has benefited humans. Human clinical and epidemiological studies, human tissue- and cell-based research methods, cadavers, sophisticated high-fidelity human-patient simulators, and computational models have the potential to be more reliable, more precise, less expensive, and more humane alternatives to experiments on animals. Body cells and biochemical processes necessary for life are quite similar across different species of animals. Arguments against animal testing. Studies published in prestigious medical journals have shown time and again that animal testing is bad science and wastes lives—both animal and human—and precious resources by trying to infect animals with diseases that they would never normally contract. About 31.1% of animals in science are used in basic research, while 11.9% are used for translational and applied research, which includes projects that test primary research findings for medical application. Sir Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin, remarked, “How fortunate we didn’t have these animal tests in the 1940s, for penicillin would probably have never been granted a license, and probably the whole field of antibiotics might never have been realized.” Modern non-animal research methods are faster, cheaper, and more relevant to humans than tests on animals. Animals in laboratories endure lives of deprivation, isolation, stress, trauma, and depression even before they are enrolled in any sort of protocol. Now, let us see some of the arguments against animal testing. Organ-on-chip technology has also been developed. Studies published in prestigious medical journals have shown time and again that animal testing is bad science and wastes lives—both animal and human—and precious resources by trying to infect animals with diseases that they would never normally contract. Refinement refers to the improvement of scientific techniques to minimize the pain and suffering of animals used for experiments over their lifetime. But if lack of reason truly justified animal experimentation, experimenting on human beings with “inferior” mental capabilities, such as infants and the intellectually disabled, would also be acceptable. (62,68) Many institutions and companies also benefit from animal testing. Animal testing has made many medical treatments possible, including cancer and HIV medications, insulin, antibiotics, vaccines and many more. If we have to sacrifice 1,000 or 100,000 animals in the hope of benefiting one child, it’s worth it.” If experimenting on one intellectually disabled person could benefit 1,000 children, would we do it? Dogs, for example, have a naturally occurring blood clotting disorder that leads to life-threatening internal bleeding. The principle of transferability also works in reverse. Animal testing has been a part of the scientific process for quite some time. Body cells and biochemical processes necessary for life are quite similar across different species of animals. The only reason people are under the misconception that these experiments help humans is because the media, experimenters, universities, and lobbying groups exaggerate the potential they have to lead to new cures and the role they’ve played in past medical advances. Animal experiments are cruel, unreliable, and even dangerous. The three Rs are Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement. We take our responsibility for the ethical treatment of animals in medical research very seriously. “We don’t want to use animals, but we don’t have any other options.”. Fortunately, a wealth of cutting-edge non-animal research methodologies promises a brighter future for both animal and human health. Compared to animals, human cerebral cortex is more complex, so this part of the brain is concerned with thinking processes rather than with basic emotions, impulses, and feelings. Arguments To Stop Animal Testing. The devices contain human cells grown in modern systems that mimic human organ functions. There are many things animal testing has been used for: Developing cosmetics; Creating new vaxinations; Helping with conservation; Helping develop new medicines Animal experiments allow researchers to predict desired outcomes and 70% of adverse effects on humans. If the drug had been tested on pregnant animals, the disaster would have been avoided. Animal tests also result in human suffering in the form of the opportunity cost of abandoning promising drugs based on misleading animal testing results. Animal testing involves pain, suffering. 2. In vitro testing involves the use of artificially grown cells or tissue in controlled conditions to study drugs and chemical effects. While funding for animal experimentation and the number of animals used in experiments continues to increase, the U.S. still ranks 42nd in the world in life expectancy and has a high infant mortality rate compared to other developed countries. Animal tests cannot be reliable to the fullest: Though animal physiology is similar to humans, not all the studies can be extrapolated. Read More. Morality/Ethical Values. Cons to Animal Testing Molecular genetics can prove that all organisms on earth have the same origin. Most experiments on animals are not relevant to human health, they do not contribute meaningfully to medical advances, and many are undertaken simply out of curiosity and do not even pretend to hold promise for curing illnesses. As candidate drugs go through development and human testing based on animal tests, some drugs are sometimes abandoned due to unsuccessful results during animal testing. The use of animals for experiments is a controversial issue that is acknowledged by the scientific community. The aim was to avoid animal testing where possible, limit harm caused to animals during testing, and to minimize their number. Fortunately, a wealth of cutting-edge non-animal research methods promises a brighter future for both animal and human health. There are different alternatives for testing, that can replace animals. A research method called microdosing can provide information on the safety of an experimental drug and how it’s metabolized in the body by administering an extremely small one-time dose that’s well below the threshold necessary for any potential pharmacologic effect to take place.

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