Animal testing has unmistakably swept the globe in effort to further scientific exploration. It has been a useful tool of drug testing, cosmetic testing, xenotransplantation, behavioral education and other informative methodical studies. From the tens to one hundred million or more animals are used in scientific experiments around the world per annum (1). An estimated eighty to eight hundred animals are used to test one drug before it is considered safe for human consumption (1).
Although some may have genuine concerns about animal testing- from relevance of data to ethics-many support it because the benefits of animal experimentation to human life far exceeds any negative aspects. Animal experimentation was first accomplished by the highly acclaimed Aristotle who lived 384-322 BC, which is evidence of how ancient this science is (9). Animal testing was advanced in Moorish Spain by an Arab doctor, Ibn Zurh, who practiced surgery on animals before on patients (9). Drug testing using animals became highly esteemed in the twentieth century.
A raspberry flavored poison, Elixir Sulfanilamide, caused mass death of more than one hundred people in 1937, before drug testing on animals on animals was popular (9). A year later, drug testing on animals was required before the drug could be put on shelves (9). Doctors and scientists had limited resources and knowledge prior to what we have now, so what may have seemed crude with today’s standards may have been the only means to advance science at that time. A current cutting edge science is xenotransplantation.
Xenotransplantation is the act of placing nonhuman cells, tissues, or organs in humans (7).The influencing goal behind transplanting animal parts into humans is that there are not enough vital organs for those on the waiting list for organs (7). On average, ten people die every day in the United States alone while for essential organs that will save their lives (7). While scientists have not yet been able to successfully put animals on the organ donor list, there are other advantages to xenotransplantation. In 1997 a clinical trial Diacrine/Genzyme convened (8). Jim, who had a furious case of Parkinson disease, became a part of it.
Millions of fetal pig neural cells were ntroduced into his brain (8).The aftermath was astronomical. Jim could walk and get up and sit down from a chair by himself after six months. “His gains have been remarkable,” Dr.
Samuel Ellias said (8). The United States Government supports animal testing. Seven different agencies, including the National Institute of Health, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services and the Center for Disease Control, financed 28,937 projects for the experimentation on twenty-seven species of animals (12). The government studied drug addiction and spent $495,600,000 on 1,200 separate projects (12).These studies provide key information to help drug addicts and curve the ever rising drug addiction problem in the United States.
Also, 778 projects were endorsed in the field of neural information processing (12). This field is important to humans because it involves prosthetic limbs that are controlled by the brain. The Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration require companies to test their goods on animals before advertising for industrial chemicals, vaccines and drugs (12). Requiring testing on animals is productive because it protects humans from adverse products.If companies did not have to test these products and put those on the market without testing the results could be catastrophic.
Animal testing is a hotly debated issue. Rachel Hajar M. D. voiced the opinions of animal rights activist in her journal article “Animal Testing and Medicine,” who believe animal testing results cannot be applied to humans because we differ so much from animals (9). But in retrospect, Rosenthal and Brown quoted “The laboratory mouse is widely considered the model organism of choice for studying disease in humans, with whom they share 99% of their genes,” (3).
Also chimpanzee and humans are closely related. The National Geographic News published an article called, “Chimps, Humans 96 Percent the Same, Gene Study Finds. ” Since humans and the chimps are ninety-six percent analogous, chimps are essential to understanding human biology. There are those that argue that scientists need to minimize pain and maximize benefits (10). In truth, every day scientist are trying to curtail painful experiments and magnify the benefits.
W. M. S. Russell is the father of the Three R’s: Replacement, Reduction and Refinement, approaches to experiments researchers take very seriously.Replacement is trying to use non animals over animals, which includes computer modeling, human volunteers and cells or tissue (2). Reduction is using fewer animals to obtain the same information as using a great number of animals, such as sharing data with other scientist and improved experimental design (2).
Refinement is when animal use is unavoidable, improve scientific procedures by minimizing pain, suffering, distress or harm and improve the animal’s overall welfare (2).In the book The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals 8th Edition which is required to be used all over the United States, proper care for animals is outlined in chapters called, “Animal Environment, Housing and Management,” and “Veterinary Medical Care,” (5). In the introduction the Committee states its cause: The purpose of The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (the Guide)… is to assist institutions in caring for and using animals in ways judged to be scientifically, technically and humanely appropriate.The Guide is also intended to assist investigators in fulfilling their obligations to plan and conduct animal experiments in accord with the highest scientific humane and ethical principle. (R9) In the “2005 Report on Enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act,” 1,177,566 animals were registered and had experiments applied to them in the United States (this does not include birds, mice, rats, farm animals and cold-blooded animals because they are excluded under The Animal Welfare Act) (13).
Of these 1,177,566 animals, 56. % of the experiments gave no pain to the animal and therefore required no drugs (13). 36% of the experiments gave pain to the animal and the researchers gave the animal drugs (13). Only 7% of the experiments gave the animals pain and those animals did not receive any drugs (13). A researcher is not scalpel happy mad scientist that is crudely hacking away in vivisection (animal dissection). They are avoiding pain at all costs with procedures that require no pain, or giving painkillers.
At times, the animal must suffer to save human lives because drugs would interfere with the results.And why is it okay to let an animal suffer for the sake of a human life? The value of an animal life is not the same value of a human life. Human beings are far more sophisticated than that of our inferiors; we have the ability to reason. And because we have the ability to reason, to communicate, to feel emotion, our well-being matters more. If one had to choose between testing a lifesaving experiment on a baby and testing that same experiment on a rat, certainly they would choose to test the rat. Where do we draw the line?Anything that is not a plant is an animal, so do we need to be concerned for the sake of microorganisms such as yeast as well? Since animals are not a part of our community we have no moral responsibility towards them.
Yet we do to humans. If there is a way to end unnecessary suffering and pain of man, then it is a burden of all to do whatever is necessary, animal experimentation and pain aside, to end it. There are several benefits to animal testing; including xenotransplantation and animals is the model organisms for testing because they will help further research that is human related.The U. S. Government supports animal testing and has done research as to whether or not animal experimentation is a good idea, and they support it.
Though it may seem cruel, scientists are doing what they can to keep as much pain and suffering to a minimum, but when necessary for the good of mankind some animals are hurt, and thankfully it saves lives. Without animal testing, at least millions of humans would die every year due to faulty drugs, cosmetic supplies, and those that have debilitating diseases that are cured with xenotransplantation. Thank God for animals.
