Animal Research: The Benefits Outweigh the Costs. Alexis Miller. Loras College

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1 Miller 1 Animal Research: The Benefits Outweigh the Costs Alexis Miller Loras College

2 Miller 2 Animal research has become a controversial ethical topic in psychology today. There are many different opinions on whether or not the use of animals in research is ethical, and also whether or not the benefits of animal research out-weights the cost of potentially harming the animals involved. Even though it is true that animals may experience pain while being involved, there are numerous benefits provided by the use of animal research. A study that asked psychologists their opinions about the use of animals in research found that 80% of the psychologists polled agreed that the use of animals in research is essential to the field of psychology as well as other fields of psychology (Plous,1996). Animal research has allowed scientists to gain substantial knowledge of medical disorders that effect both humans and animals, and has greatly increased the quality of the lives of thousands of people. The quality and longevity of human lives have been greatly impacted by the medical discoveries found through animal research. The use of animals in research has lead scientists to gain advances in various fields of science, and also improvements in the diagnosis and treatments of several diseases. Diseases such as meningitis, breast cancer, asthma, macular degeneration, tuberculosis, and Parkinson s disease have had major breakthroughs as a result animal research. A new technique brought by animal research, called xenografts, will bring numerous benefits to genetic engineering. Xenografts are also known as cross species transplants where animals are transformed to become carries for human organs for human transplants. This technique could potentially save hundreds of people who die each year while waiting for transplants (Frey, 1997). Cancer is just one of the many diseases that have been greatly affected by animal research. Animal research has helped scientist to create several new cancer drugs that have greatly improved the life of thousands of cancer patients. These new cancer drugs account for

3 Miller % of the increases life expectancy of cancer patients over the past decade. These drugs provide a kinder and gentler type of treatment compared to the harsher treatments of surgery and radiation. Animal research helps scientists to gain understanding of tumor biology, which leads scientists to create new drug therapies that directly kill the cancer cells. In 1963 the survivor rate of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which is the most common childhood cancer, was only four percent. Today thanks to animal research developing more effective and less toxic drugs the survival right for acute lymphoblastic leukemia is now 80%. Animal research also played an essential role in the development of two drugs named Herceptin and Tamoxifen, which have saved the lives of thousands of women and men who have suffered from breast cancer (Americans for Medical Progress, 2011). HIV and AIDS is another disease that has greatly benefited from animal research. Although presently there is not a cure for this disease, with the help of animal research several people infected with the disease are able to live relatively normal lives; in fact due to the new drug therapies discovered through animal research that death rate of people living with AIDS has dropped by seventy percent over the past decade. Scientists have also been working on anti-viral therapy to give to pregnant women throughout their pregnancy and also during labor to help prevent AIDS in children whose mothers have the disease. Scientists are able to develop medicine during animal research to help improve the lives of patients infected with HIV/AIDS and with future use of animal research scientists might be able to one day find a cure for HIV/AIDS one day (Americans for Medical Progress, 2011). Another one of the many diseases that has been greatly affected through animal research is Parkinson s disease. One of the vital components of the advancement in medicine and treatments of Parkinson s is through stem cell research. Dopamine is a key neurotransmitter for

4 Miller 4 this disease, and scientists have been able to grow a dopamine-producing cell to test in mouse models that have Parkinson s disease in order to gain a better understanding of this disease (Americans for Medical Progress, 2011). Research using animals has brought several benefits to several different diseases that affect humans. Moreover, animal research has also greatly benefited animals themselves. Scientists have found that there is a great similarity between certain human diseases and animal diseases. Therefore, research done to benefit certain human diseases will also benefit animals. Currently, there is an integration between medical schools, veterinary schools, and public health schools called One Health Initiative, that encourages these programs to conduct comparative research between the progress of diseases that human and animals have in common, such as diabetes, cancer, autoimmune disorders obesity. Animal research conducted on these diseases can benefit both animals and humans and help scientists fine medicine and cures for these diseases (Speaking of Research, 2011). While animal research provides many benefits for both humans and animals, it is also an extremely regulated process. The American Psychological Association has a section in its code of ethics that is dedicated to research and publication. Part of this section discusses the use of animals in research in order to ensure that the animals used in research are being treated humanely. The APA ethics code states that all use of animals in research must coincide with all state, federal, and local laws. Also, all animal research must be over-seen by a psychologists trained in research methods and has experience with the use of animals in the laboratory; the role of the psychologists over-seeing the use of animals in research is to ensure that comfort and health of the animals is humane. The APA ethics code also makes sure that all researchers

5 Miller 5 involved in a project containing the use of animals must be trained in the proper care of the animals (American Psychological Association, 2002). Another part of the APA ethics code concerning the use of animals in research states that psychologists involved must make efforts to minimize discomfort, pain, infection, and illness that the animals used in research might experience. Moreover, if any pain or stress that the animal might experience is necessary, psychologists must first make sure that no other alternatives are available and also all pain that the animal might endure must be justified by some prospective scientific, educational, or applied value gained by the animal research. If psychologists must perform surgery on any animals in research, the animal must be properly put under anesthesia in order to avoid pain and any infection that may occur during surgery (American Psychological Association, 2002). Scientists have also created an approach in recent years to animal research called the three R s of research, which include refine, replace, and reduce. Refinement is the process of eliminating harm and suffering to the animals included in the research. Scientists are also working on reducing the amount of animals used in research and ultimately replace the use of animals in research with non-animal models. The replacement of the use of animals in research will take years of research in order for the scientists to create these non-animal models (Frey, 1997). There are two main advocacy groups that speak out in favor of animal research, Pro-Test and Speaking of Research. The first group, called Pro-Test, started in the United Kingdom in 2006 by a sixteen year old girl. Laurie Pycroft, founder of the organization, was frustrated with the way the media was portraying animal research. During this time, activist groups such as Animal Liberation Front and SPEAK were protesting the building of a new Biomedical Research

6 Miller 6 Facility at Oxford University. Pro-Test was founded in order to counter-act the protest made by these groups. Pro-test stands for science and the promotion of the welfare of mankind; the organization believes that animal research is necessary in order to further scientific research (Pro-test, 2006). Speaking of Research is another advocacy group founded by Tom Holder who was inspired by the Pro-Test group in the United Kingdom. Similar to Pro-Test speaks for the benefits of animal research. Speaking of Research rallies against animal rights extremists, who have been known to destroy laboratories where animal research is being conducted. The goal of this advocacy group is to educate the public of the reality and benefits of animal research. (Speaking of Research, 2011) Even though the benefits of animal research are overwhelming, there are activist groups and people who are strongly against the use of animals in scientific research. Several of these anti-activist groups make claims against animal research that are untrue. One of these claims is that many diseases are not similar in humans and animals, and therefore research done on animals does not provide any benefit to studying human diseases. These activists also claim that animal research can easily be replaced immediately with other techniques such as computer modeling, in-vitro testing, and MRI scanning (Pro-Test, 2006). Another important issue that some people have against animal research is that fact that animals used in research are innocent and have the capacity to feel pain; therefore, research involving animals is ethically and morally wrong. These people would argue that animals have the same rights as humans, and it s wrong that scientists subject animals to be used in research studies that they would not use humans on, especially considering that the animals used in research are defenseless. People who are against animal research argue that animals used in

7 Miller 7 research are innocent and should not be subjected to any possible pain that might occur during the research (Gallup Jr. & Beckstead, 1988). Although proponents against animal research make a compelling case against animal research, the claims that anti-animal research proponents make are not always true and must be challenged. Anti-animal research activists claimed that alternatives to animal research are easily and readily available; however, this is not true. For one, animal research is extremely expensive and possible alternatives to animal research would be a lot cheaper compared to animal research. If scientists were able to effectively use these alternatives, they most likely would to save costs. Most of the alternatives that are being promoted by anti-animal research activists are considered by most scientists to be complements to animal research rather techniques to completely replace animal research. Also, these alternatives to animal research are just a work in progress and the use of animal research will help further the advancements of animal research. Also, if researchers and scientists want to use animals in research, they must consider all other alternatives first (Speaking of Research, 2011). One of the possible alternatives to animal research is computer modeling. Scientists are developing programs on computers that reflect the physiology of both humans and animals, and will use these programs to gain a better understanding of the diseases that affect both species. In order to effectively create these programs, scientists must first conduct animals research. The use of computers to stimulate human or animal organs is a long ways a way from replacing the use of animals in research (Speaking of Research, 2011). In vitro testing and MRI scanning are two other possible alternatives to animal research. In vitro testing involves on the micro level in a test tube and in some cases provides an excellent alternative to animal testing and is much less expensive compared to animal research. However,

8 Miller 8 many scientists do not believe that in vitro testing will completely replace animal research, but instead might reduce the number of animal research experiments that occur. MRI scanning is another possible alternative to animal research. MRI imaging technology allows scientists to learn what parts of the brain are responsible for various different functions. Similar to in-vitro testing, MRI imaging is a technique that scientists believe will help refine the use of animals in research, instead of completely replacing it. MRI technology gives insights to how the brain works, but cannot explain how a certain disease works on a genetic and molecular level. MRI scans can show us what the problem is, but animal testing is needed in order to find a cure for various diseases (Speaking of Research, 2011). People against animal research claim that the use of animals in unethically and morally wrong because animals have the ability to feel pain. However, it can also be argued that animals simply do not have the same capacity to reason and do not have the same rights as humans. Moral rights are a concept created by humans and therefore should only apply to humans. Proponents against animal research claim that the animals used to research are innocent as one of the main reasons not to use animals in research. However, due to the fact that animals do not have the capacity to know right from wrong they can never be considered either innocent or guilty. For example, if an animal kills another animal in the wild, there would be no reproductions for the animal. Animals are nor moral beings and therefore do not deserve the same rights as humans. Also it is important to note that a majority of the research involving animals uses either rats or mice instead of dogs, cats, and other primates (Plous, 1996). The use of animals in research is an extremely costly and regulated process. Scientist involved in using animals in research are most likely to take into account the cost involved with using animals in research, and ensure that the animals are being used properly. On top of the fact

9 Miller 9 that animal research is extremely expensive, it also is extremely regulated. According to the American Psychological Association s ethics code, psychologists must consider all possible alternatives to animal research before deciding on the use of animals in their research project. Alternatives to animal research in most cases are extremely less expensive compared to the use of animals in research. Scientists are in the process of creating these alternatives and are using animals in research in order to perfect these alternatives. Furthermore, the benefits of animal research are too numerous for scientists to even think about eliminating the use of animals in research. Because of the medical breakthroughs made through animal research, thousands of people who suffer from diseases such as HIV/AIDA, cancer, diabetes, and many others are able to have healthier and longer lives. In our society today, animal research is an essential and vital to aspect of scientific research and has greatly improved the lives of all Americans.

10 Miller 10 References Americans for Medical Processes. (2011). Animal Research Means Medical Progress. Retrieved from American Psychological Association. (2002). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. Retrieved from Frey, R. G. (1997). Moral community and animal research in medicine. Ethics & Behavior, 7(2), Retrieved from PsychInfo. Gallop, G. G., & Beckstead, J. W. (1988). Attitudes toward animal research. American Psychologist, 43(6), Retrieved from PsychInfo. Plous, S. S. (1996). Attitudes toward the use of animals in psychological research and education: Results from a national survey of psychologists. American Psychologist, 51(11), Retrieved from PsychInfo. Pro-Test. (2006, January). Alternatives to Animal Research. Retrieved from Speaking of Research. (2011, October 24). Facts about Animal Research. Retrieved from