importance of animals in bio medical research

8/2/2019 IMPORTANCE of Animals in Bio Medical Research

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Throughout history, scientists have been solving

medical problems, developing new techniquesand treatments, and curing diseases

Using animals in biomedicalresearch.


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Vaccinations for polio, diphtheria, mumps, measles,rubella, pertussis, and hepatitis.

Treatments for asthma, severe burns, juvenilediabetes, leukemia, newborn sickness and prematurebirths.

Prevention and treatment of birth defects.Antibiotics for a variety of bacterial infections.Microsurgery to reattach severed limbs.

Remedies for childhood poisonings.Management of epilepsy, cystic fibrosis.Organ transplants.Correction of congenital heart defects.


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Polio would kill or cripple thousands of unvaccinatedadults and children each year.

Most of the nations one million insulin-dependentdiabetics would be dead.

More than 60 million Americans would risk death from

heart attacks, strokes or kidney failure because therewould be no medicine to combat high blood pressure.

Chemotherapy wouldnt exist and couldnt save 70percent of children who now survive acute lymphocytic

leukemia.People disabled by strokes or spinal cord injuries couldnot benefit from rehabilitation techniques.


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More than 1 million Americans would be blind in atleast one eye there would be no surgery to correctcataracts.

Newborns who develop jaundice each year wouldcontract cerebral palsy, now preventable through

phototherapy.There would be no kidney dialysis.Surgery of any type would be rare and extremelypainful because there would be no anesthesia.

Smallpox, which has been eradicated, would continue

unchecked.Millions of dogs, cats, other pets and farm animalswould have died from anthrax, distemper, canineparvovirus, feline leukemia, rabies and more than 200other diseases now preventable.


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Because of biomedical research both humans

andanimals now have: Life-saving surgical procedures;

Cancer therapies;

Organ transplantation;

Vaccines;

Safe consumer products; and Treatments and cures for countless other medical

disorders and diseases.


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Daily, from vaccinations to prevent measles

to product safety testing, the knowledgegained from animals used in research helpsevery single one of us, our pets, and thewildlife around us.

Thousands of our pet cats and dogs are vaccinatedeach year and are thus spared from diseases such asfeline leukemia, rabies, etc.

Every time we take an aspirin or other pain reliever,apply sunscreen, or even brush our teeth, we are

reaping the benefits of biomedical research.Reproductive techniques discovered through animalresearch can potentially save many endangeredwildlife species from extinction


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"Virtually every major medical advance for bothhumans and animals has been achieved throughbiomedical research using animal models to studyand find a cure for a disease and through animaltesting to prove the safety and efficacy of a new

treatment.

C. Everett Koop, M.DFormer U.S. Surgeon General


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Why are animals used in research?

organs and body systems similar to humans and other

animals;

susceptible to the same diseases that affect humans;

short life span allows animals to be studied throughout

their entire life;

environment easily controllable to keep experimental

variables to a minimum;


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Animals are similar to humans in manyways. Not only do they have similar

anatomies, but their physiologies arecomparable as well.

For instance, even though they may bedifferent sizes and shapes, humans and

animals both have bones that containmarrow and produce blood cells.

Both have the same hormones that aiddigestion and regulate the reproductive

cycle


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Both humans and animals share some of thesame diseases including many cancers,diabetes, and heart diseases.

As in case of a dog with similar cardiovascularsystems as humans few of the many successfulmedical breakthroughs that can be attributedto the dog and that are now commonly applied

to humans includes:Heart transplantationDevelopment of the heart-lung machine which allowssurgeons to keep the patient alive while performing heartsurgery

Coronary bypass surgeryArtificial heart valves used to replace damaged or defective


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Most research animals, especially rodents

such as rats and mice, have short life spans

so they can be studied throughout theirentire life and even through several

generations within a short period of time.


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Researchers are looking to see if their drug,surgery, or technique is effective.

To allow for the most accurate and reliabledata, they must keep experimentalvariables to a minimum.

When animals are stressed, the research is

not reliable. Therefore, it is in the bestinterest of the research being conductedfor researcher to see that animals aremaintained with regulated environments

such as light, humidity, temperature, and


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What animals are used in research?

Laboratory mice are used in research more oftenthan any other animal species; It is estimated that nearly 20 million rodents are bred for research annually.

Mice are used for studies of cancer, aging, AIDS, immunology, and genetics.They are also used to learn and perfect embryo transfer techniques inhumans and domestic and endangered animal species.

These mice, plusother rodents such as rats andhamsters, make up more than 90% of the total

number of animals used; and Their small size and low cost makes them ideal for laboratory experiments.

In addition, scientists can breed different strains of mice with natural geneticdeficiencies to achieve specific models of human diseases.


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Other animal species, includingdogs, cats,rabbits, farm animals, fish, frogs, birds,nonhuman primates, and many others, make upthe remaining 10% of animals used in research.According to the USDA, about 70,000 dogs, 23,000cats, and 49,000 primates were used for researchbetween 10/1/2000 and 9/30/2001.

In most cases, these animals are specifically bred

for research purposes and are purchased fromanimal breeders.

What animals are used in research?


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When are animals used in research?

Following literature searches andcomparison of data to previous research ;

Researchers are required to conduct extensive literaturesearches before having their animal protocols approved

by an IACUC. This literature search must assure thattheir research plans do not unnecessarily duplicateprevious research or that there are not other alternativesavailable that will meet their needs.

Following computer model simulations and

cell and/or tissue culture research;Computer models are often used instead of animaltesting, or in conjunction with animal testing. However, acomputer simply cant mimic the complexities of anentire biological system. Thats why animals are used.


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Following an IACUC-approved animal use

protocol;The Animal Welfare Act requires that each institutionestablish an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee(IACUC), which is responsible for evaluating the total animalcare program, as well as for scrutinizing all proposed animalexperiments.

The committee must include at least one person who isunaffiliated with the institution and one veterinarian.

Researchers proposing a procedure must explain to thecommittee in writing the number of animals they plan touse, why a certain species is necessary, and what steps willbe taken to prevent unnecessary suffering.

The committee has the power to reject any researchproposal and stop ongoing projects if it believes USDAstandards are not being met.



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Following extensive training and educationon the handling, care, and use of animals;

Every facility must provide training on proper handlingand techniques for anyone handling a research animal.

but, beforeHUMAN clinical testing.Clinical trials on humans are conducted ONLY after theproduct or technique is proved to be safe and efficientin animals.

Human subjects volunteer to go into these trials fullyinformed of any possible side effects or risks.

Resources: www. iacuc.org; ALAT Training Manual, page 10;www.fbresearch.org/education/laws.htm



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Who cares about the research animals? Research institutions;

Scientists and their research staff;

Veterinarians, laboratory animal technicians,

cagewashers, and other animal care personnel;

Federal and local government agencies; Scientific organizations; and most of all,

Patients


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The well-being of animals used in biomedicalresearch is of utmost importance to all

involved in research.Research institutions, scientists, animal carepersonnel, government agencies, scientificorganizations, and even medical patients allrecognize that animals are essential to ourcontinuing search for medical breakthroughsand feel these animals should receive theutmost care and respect.

All of these people know that the quality ofthe research received is commensurate withthe quality of the care the research animals

receive; thus excellent animal care equals


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allergies

arthritis

birth defects

cancer

tuberculosis

asthma

epilepsy

Some of the many health problems affectingboth

humans and animals include: heart disease

kidney disease

Lyme disease

ulcers

measles

influenza

hypertension

l glaucoma

l diabetes

l bronchitisl leukemia

l deafness

l just to mention

a few


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How can we learn from medical research usinganimals and help humans?

much of what we know about the immune system hascome from studies with mice,

much of what we know about the heart and lungs ofhumans has come from studies with dogs.

How can we be sure that lost or stolen pets are notused in research?

State laws and local states that these dealers must be licensed by the UnitedStates Department of Agriculture (USDA) and must adhere to Animal WelfareAct standards of care. Both dealers and research facilities can obtain dogsand cats only from specified sources and must comply with detailed record-keeping and waiting-period requirements. In addition, USDA conductsunannounced inspections of dealers and research facilities for compliance to

help ensure research animals are not missing pets.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the use ofanimals in medical research:


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Why do veterinarians, who are supposed to takecare of sick animals, work with researchers whodo experiments on them?

Arent the animals in laboratories suffering and in

pain?

More FAQs:


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Why is it important to conduct product safety testson animals when cruelty-free products areavailable?

What happens to animals once an experiment iscompleted?

More FAQs:


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Why are increasing numbers of animals sacrificed forresearch, especially for repetitive experiments?

Why cant alternatives such as computer models and

cell and tissue cultures replace animals in medicalresearch?

More FAQs:


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Do we really have the right to experiment on animals?What about theirrights?

Dont people choose careers in medical research

using animals because it is an easy way to receivefunding dollars and make high salaries?

More FAQs:


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With the knowledge gained throughresearch on animals, we can continueimproving the lives of not only humans,

but our pets, wildlife, and other animals.

importance of animals in bio medical research

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