Transcript Pro-Research - Animal Liberation Front

1726
Stephen Hales first measures blood
pressure in a horse
1796
Edward Jenner develops the world's first
vaccine, against smallpox. Critics express
skepticism, calling it ungodly to inoculate
people with material from cows.
1885
Louis Pasteur
develops a
vaccine for rabies
vac • cine / noun /
From the Latin vaccinus, meaning "from cows"
1881
Louis Pasteur proves the germ
theory of disease by inoculating
sheep against anthrax.
1902
Robert Ross wins the Nobel
Prize for his work, using
pigeons, showing how malaria
is transmitted
1901-1939
Animal research advances our understanding
of blood, making transfusions possible.
1922
Researchers isolate insulin. In 1923, Dr.
Frederick Banting and Dr. J. MacLeod win
the Nobel Prize for their discovery.
Photo courtesy Banting Family
Collection.
1955
Polio vaccine released
1964
Dr. Michael DeBakey performs the first
coronary bypass surgery using techniques
perfected on animals
1982
Treatment for leprosy
developed using armadillos
1982
Prions are discovered in hamsters.
Subsequent studies in mice have shown
that these misshaped, disease-causing
proteins can be inherited
1989
Organ transplantation
advances developed
Number and kinds of animals used
• The Office of Technology Assessment estimates that 17-23 million
animals are used in the United States for research every year.
• **The vast majority of these – about 95% – are rats and mice
specifically bred for research.**
• In 2000, there were 69,516 dogs and 25,560 cats used in research.
• By comparison, wildlife biologists estimate that over one million
animals are killed every day by automobiles – over 365 million per
year.
• Dogs, cats, and non-human primates combined account for less
than 3/4 of a percent of the total and their numbers has been
declining for nearly 30 years.
• The number of dogs used in biomedical research has declined 67%
since 1973, and the number of cats used in biomedical research has
declined 63% since 1973.
Why are increasing numbers of animals
used in research?
• The number of animals used in research has actually
decreased in the past 20-25 years.
• Best estimates for the reduction in the overall use of
animals in research range from 20% - 50%.
• This reduction is more consistent and striking when
comparing species. For example, best government
estimates report that the number of cats used in
research has dropped 66% since 1967.
• Due to a variety of factors, including the increase in
nonanimal adjunct testing and the refinement of
laboratory animal medicine, there are fewer animals
used for many research projects.
Why can't alternatives such as computer
models and cell cultures replace animal
research?
• Computer models and cell cultures, as well as other adjunct
research methods, are excellent avenues for reducing the number of
animals used.
• These methods are used to screen and determine the toxic potential
of a substance in the early stages of investigation, thereby reducing
the total number of research animals needed.
•
The final test, however, has to be done in a whole, living system.
Even the most sophisticated technology cannot mimic the
complicated interactions among cells, tissues and organs that occur
in humans and animals.
• In addition, there are very strong economic incentives to replace
animals with computers or other adjunct methods. Research animals
are very expensive to acquire and care for and are only used
because no alternatives currently exist.
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.
• Much of what we know about the immune system has come
from studies with mice,
• 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.
What assurances exist that stolen or lost
pets are not used in research?
• The vast majority of laboratory animals are rodents specifically
bred for research.
• Nearly half of the dogs and cats needed for research are also
bred for that purpose.
• Since state laws and local policies prevent many animal pounds
and shelters from providing dogs and cats to research facilities,
animal dealers are the primary source for the other half of the
animals scientists require.
• These dealers must be licensed by the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) and must adhere to Animal
Welfare Act standards of care.
• Both dealers and research facilities can obtain
dogs and cats only from specified sources.
• They must comply with detailed record-keeping
and waiting-period requirements.
• USDA conducts unannounced inspections of
dealers and research facilities for compliance to
help ensure research animals are not missing
pets.
Why is it important to conduct product safety
tests on animals when "cruelty-free" products
are available?
•
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.
• Testing provides scientific data for poison control centers and
emergency room physicians in the event a product is misused.
• Adequate testing of products is a legal obligation to the public.
•
It is important to remember the circumstances that led to safety
testing of all new consumer ingredients and products, particularly
cosmetics.
•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 known to be safe through previous animal
testing.
Aren't the animals in laboratories suffering and
in pain?
• The use of animals in research and testing is strictly
controlled, particularly regarding potential pain.
• Federal laws, the Animal Welfare Act and the Public
Health Service Act, regulate 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.
Pain and distress
• The majority of animals used
in biomedical research do not
experience significant pain or
distress.
• According to the 2000 USDA
Annual Report, in seven
percent of the procedures,
neither anesthesia nor pain
medication could be used, as
they would have interfered with
research results.
•
However, when this is the
case, pain is minimized as
much as possible.
• One of the most widely held misconceptions of animal
research is that no regulatory system exists to protect
the welfare of laboratory animals.
• It is common to hear animal activists claiming that
scientists can do "anything they want" to laboratory
animals without justification.
• Activists also imply that there is an endless supply of
research dollars, and that scientists can qualify for
funding simply by contriving an animal experiment that
has not been tried in the past.
Animal Welfare Act
• This federal law sets forth standards for the care and treatment of
laboratory animals, including housing, feeding, cleanliness,
ventilation and veterinary care.
– AWA regulations do not cover rats and mice bred specifically for
research.
•
All facilities using laboratory animals covered under the AWA must
register with and be inspected by the United States Department of
Agriculture's enforcement arm, the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS).
•
It is the responsibility of APHIS – through random, unannounced
inspections – to ensure that institutions are complying with all USDA
regulations. The AWA also mandates the use of anesthesia or
painkilling drugs for potentially painful procedures and for
postoperative care unless the research precludes it.
• The Animal Welfare Act also requires that each institution establish
an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).
The Institutional Animal Care and Use
Committee (IACUC)
• Responsible for evaluating the total animal care program,
Must scrutinize all proposed animal experiments.
The committee must include at least one person who is unaffiliated
with the institution and one veterinarian.
Researchers proposing a procedure must explain to the committee
in writing the number of animals they plan to use, why a certain
species is necessary, and what steps will be taken to prevent
unnecessary suffering.
The committee has the power to reject any research
proposal and stop ongoing projects if it believes USDA
standards are not being met.
•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.
Animal Rights vs. Animal Welfare
• PETA (People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals)
• www.peta.org
• ALF (Animal Liberation Front)
•
www.animalliberationfront.com
– Classified as a terrorist
organization by the Federal
Government
• Animal Welfare Act
• Enforced by USDA
• Public Health Service
• Major funder of research
• Enforces rules for mice,
rats, etc.
• Institutions must file (and
update annually) Animal
Welfare Assurances with the
NIH office.
– Documentation of
institutional commitment
– Description of the animal
care and use program
– Implementation
procedures.
Most of the information for this slide show came from the
Foundation for Biomedical Research and its website
http://www.fbresearch.org