By Alina Khan.
Nearly all medications and treatment methods created today have been through some level of animal testing. Simply put, animal testing is the use of animals in order to conduct research and testing for a specific idea in a set time frame or area (Marinescu & Comam, 2010). The use of animals has been a controversial issue for a fairly long period of time, given the concerns regarding any pain, discomfort, or suffering the animals may experience during testing. However, the use of animals for testing contributes to the advancement of modern medicine for both humans and animals. It is ethical to conduct animal testing and research because it helps develop new treatments and medications for humans and animals, prevents dangerous substances from entering clinical trials, and is heavily regulated or replaced where possible.
Animal testing is not only beneficial for humans but for animals as well, as it allows for the development of medical innovations that can help humans and animals. Through research using animals, various vaccines and treatments have already been developed. For example, according to the Foundation for Biomedical Research, through testing on cows, the first vaccine was developed, leading to the eradication of smallpox (n.d). In addition, many diseases that affect humans affect animals as well and can be treated using medication developed for humans. For example, cats are able to develop hyperthyroidism and cataracts, and dogs are able to develop urinary tract infections, cancer, and arthritis which can be treated with insulin (FBR, n.d). Without the use of animals, treatments for these diseases would not exist, on top of any future developments for human health. These developments by extension advance veterinary medicine, as they can be given to animals to help them live longer and healthier lives, including pets and wildlife.
Animal testing also allows for potential treatments to be thoroughly tested, which prevents any harmful substances from entering clinical trials or reaching the general public. In 1937, a US pharmaceutical company created a drug called ‘Elixir Sulfanilamide’, which contained diethylene glycol (DEG), a solvent that is poisonous to humans (Hajar, 2011). More than a hundred deaths were caused by the mass poisoning, as no animal testing had been done (Hajar, 2011). This incident is one of many others that were caused by products being put in the consumer market without any proper testing for safety and efficacy. Had the pharmaceutical company known the dangers of DEG, this and several other incidents could have been prevented. However, in today’s world, animal testing is not the only form of research that can be done in such scenarios. For example, computer models can be used to reduce the number of animals used. However, computer models cannot completely eliminate animal testing, as they cannot completely replicate a human model (FBR, n.d). If it were possible, we would not use animal testing given the costly, labor-intensive, and time-consuming nature of testing, not including the number of heavy regulations set (Lee, 2008).
Animal testing is heavily regulated or replaced wherever possible. Computer models and stem cell research allow for a reduction in the number of animals used during research but are limited in their capabilities (FBR, n.d). Computer models must rely on previously collected data and can only make calculations, they are not able to generate brand-new results nor can they easily factor in outliers. Stem cell treatments, while still viable in testing, are still required to demonstrate safety and efficacy in animals prior to human clinical trials (FBR, n.d). However, steps have been taken to regulate and control testing to ensure lab animals do not experience unnecessary pain or suffering as no responsible scientist will intentionally harm an animal (Festing, 2007). The 3R campaign (centered around the idea of replacement, reduction, and refinement) allows for the use of animals while also allowing scientists to maintain a moral conscience (Hajar, 2011). In addition, the introduction of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) allows for strict standards to be set in regard to the care of lab animals (FBR, n.d). Research institutions are also required to have an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) to oversee all work conducted with animals. Through the IACUC, researchers are required to go through a rigorous process to justify their needs for animal use, which in turn determines the choice of species used for each test, and the absolute bare minimum number of animals needed to conduct the experiment (FBR, n.d). All IACUCs are required to have a veterinarian and community representative that is unaffiliated with the institution to ensure all standards are being met for each animal’s wellbeing (FBR, n.d).
In conclusion, while the use of animals in testing is still a controversial ethical dilemma, the benefits of using animals for research are still worth considering, given the potential medical advancements that can be found. Animal testing and research help develop new treatments for humans and animals and prevent any dangerous substances from reaching the general public, while also being heavily regulated to ensure lab animals are not being neglected or forced to endure unnecessary suffering, and replaced where possible with stem cell research and computer models. Everything that is learned from conducting these tests helps advance biomedical science forward to ensure both humans and animals are able to lead longer and healthier lives.
References
Festing, S., & Wilkinson, R. (2007). The ethics of animal research. Talking Point on the use of animals in scientific research. EMBO reports, 8(6), 526–530. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.embor.7400993
Hajar, R. (2011). Animal testing and medicine. Heart Views, 12(1), 42. https://doi.org/10.4103/1995-705X.81548 Lee, S. (2008, Nov 03).
The ethics of animal testing hang in the balance. The Vancouver Sun http://proxy154.nclive.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/ethics-animal-testing-hang-balance/docview/243820507/se-2
Marinescu, B., & Coman, C. (2010). The ethics of animal testing. Revista Romana De Bioetica, 8(3)
Why animal research? Foundation for Biomedical Research. (n.d.). Retrieved March 29, 2023, from https://fbresearch.org/
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