Millions of animals undergo distressing scientific procedures, and some of these can be very painful. Does the Legislation of animal experimentation under modern societies make the issue ethically acceptable? The “3Rs” concept focuses on the efforts to replace, reduce and refine the animal testing and experiments. There is a continuing debate going on ethical issues of the use of animal in scientific experiments (Kolar111-22). Animal testing is nothing new in the society, and it has been done since centuries. The animals have been used in different researchers working in the areas of health and food. Earlier, the animals have been dissected to learn more about what goes on in the human body. It is true that the common man in the society is not even aware, or much bothered about animal testing in different areas (BBC). This is a debate that remains confined between people who support animal testing and organization that work for animals. It is true that it is the result of all those efforts of animal testing that have made the lives of many people better. However, in spite of the scientific, and technological breakthroughs, there are some difficult questions that too get carried along, and that is, should researchers and educators get data from inhumane experiments on animals and how justifiable it is to take the lives of healthy animals in the name of research done for the benefit of mankind. The questions are many and answers are difficult. There are very few areas that are as controversial and emotional as the use of animals in scientific research (De Villiers 88-97).
Why animal testing is important Animal testing has always played a vital role in medicine and pharmaceutical industry. It would not have been possible for scientists to develop effective and safe medicines for humans had it not been for those years of research on animals and other testing. About 26 million animals are used for science and research purpose every year in the US. Animal testing helps the scientists to measure the safety of medicines and develop effective treatments. (Monamy). Understanding Animal Research Animals and humans carry common deceases such as TB, flu, asthma and cancer. Human shares more than 90 % genes and thus, mouse becomes an effective testing target. The research done on human is not only beneficial for human but also animals. The list of mammalian animals used for testing includes guinea pigs, mouse, rabbits, monkeys, cats, dogs and farm animals.Monkeys are closely related to human beings anatomically (Kolar 111-22) Experimentation Drugs that are developed based on animal testing include painkillers, antibiotics, and tranquilizers, which are very effective in treating animals. There are new testing methods coming up that avoid the use of animals, but they are not that effective, and it is still not possible to replace animal testing with those methods. Chimpanzees are one of species that are used for testing purposes. (Olson & Varki). The species have been used for medical testing since decades and the reason behind is that their DNA is very similar to human beings. Medical experiments on chimpanzees have generated authentic results related to different and complicated health-related issues such as the skull impact, heart transplant, alcoholism and oral contraceptives. Hundreds of chimpanzees are kept captivated in US research centers for various medical testing. However, there are some nations and research programs that have banned use of chimpanzees in animal testing because of their proximity to the human beings. (Mitani et al 233-243).The legal perspectives The main issue is that currently there is no law that can prevent animal testing. Those animals are captivated for months and burnt, overfed, and even decapitated during animal testing. There are other aspects such as getting inaccurate results from animal testing. If this is true, it is highly objectionable (Hayhurst). The use of animals in biomedical research in the United States is regulated by two federal laws- Animal Welfare Act and the Public Health Service Guide for the Care. Animal Welfare Act covers specifically named animal species while Public Health Service Guide regulate any animal research that is funded by the government. The concept of the “Three R’s” was laid for the first time, by W. M. S. Russell and R. L. Burch, based on the Principles of Humane Experimental Technique (Nolen & Bishop 91-112). The concept was to motivate a more ethical and humane treatment of animals. Animals are not just sought in labs, but also in education, where the surgery on live animals, also known as vivisection is done at the graduate or professional level at veterinary and medical schools. The unethical use of animals that leads to unnecessary pain and suffering has raised a lot many questions. Several veterinary schools now use only those animals that are in need of surgery. Likewise, many medical schools have done away with their live animal labs and lowered the number of healthy animals used for surgical practice. The prime focus is to lessen the pain and suffering inflicted unnecessarily on the animals by eliminating animal dissection that became a regular part of the American curriculum in the 1920s.
Generally speaking, the customer buying that shampoo off the stores is hardly aware of the research that has gone behind it or the animals used for testing in the library. When the study was made to investigate the impact of ethical buying intentions on consumers buying behavior, it was found that does exist a link. The consumer is well aware of the corporate social responsibility activities of the brand(Alexandra et al 233-243). The companies are not bound to follow non-animal testing practice, and the consumers may have different opinions about animal testing practice. Moreover, the information related to animal testing is certainly not readily available on the labels of shampoo packages. The findings show that the other factors too could interfere between the actual buying behavior and the buying intention of the customer. The analysis showed a strong positive relationship between the buying intentions of non-animal tested products and their attitudes towards animal testing policies.
Animals Inside and Outside the Lab
Animals in lab have always been compared to those animals outside lab and used for food. Animals involved in research have played a crucial role in the production of medical knowledge and medicines. The scientists involved in animal testing do create a series of boundaries between humans and animals and look upon humans carrying a higher moral worth. Scientists using animals always make an ethically relevant boundary between use of animals inside and outside the laboratory. These scientists were extremely proficient at creating an image of their research as ethically sound and justified. They are quick to offer numerous examples like three million animals used in research as compared to 6 to 8 million rodents that are poisoned to an agonizing death every year (Hobson-West 649-63).
Use of New technologies There have been massive technological advancements made in almost all spheres of science. The advanced technology has ushered in effective and efficient procedures and offered new ways and means of getting data that was not possible earlier. (Hester and Harrison 15). For example, the drug researchers have used animals as the main test subjects to come up with new drugs. However, the growing awareness on the unethical means used in animal testing and combined efforts between academicians are encouraging development of alternative means for drug testing. Computer modeling is one such arena that can be used to stimulate or create a real life system. The complex systems can help the researchers to understand and also evaluate as to what if. These applications will prove to be highly beneficial, especially in those conditions, where the real system unethical, as in the case of animal testing, impractical or expensive. (Hester and Harrison 15). Currently, mini-human organs are being grown in laboratories by computer scientists and biologists, based on biological system models in computers. These synthetically created body systems can be a good alternative to those animals testing used for drug and medical research. Scientists have already created devices that can simulate the micro- environment of common human organs.
A perfect example of the new technology and its use is mentioned in an article in the Harvard Crimson, where, the scientists at the Harvard research Centre have constructed a device that impersonates the small intestines in humans. The researchers at Harvard University’s Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering have lately made a major breakthrough in the development of new biomedical technologies that could potentially mean an end to animal testing. The device known as “gut-on-a-chip” that essentially “imitates the microenvironment of the human intestine” (Mirza, n.p). The use of such an alternative will help deal with the unethical issues related to animal testing. Moreover, although hundreds and thousands of animals are tested upon before the new drug being developed is patented and marketed, one can never be 100% sure how the human body will react to the drug. Some drugs carry different effects in animals as compared to humans. For instance, Morphine leads to hyper-excitement in animals, while it can have a calming effect on humans. (Balls 200). It is true that humans and animals share a lot many genetic similarities, but when it comes to sensitive health issues such as medical therapy, one should not take any chances. This is why, science should work towards developing those virtual models of the human systems that can make a more reliable and accurate prediction of the impact of the drug on the actual human system. Moreover, scientists can work with high dosages of drugs in the recreated human biological system as compared to animals in testing (Hunter 11). The new technologies related to medical testing can certainly allow the scientists to make a more comprehensive understanding of medical prognosis. In place of using live or dead animals for education, there is an increasing use of interactive 3-D computer models, plastic life-size models and video footage, taking place of traditional methods. There are, in fact, humane education laws in some states that talk about the important role of animals and birds and encourage humane treatment for all animals (Nolen and Laura 91-112).
Guidelines and challenges
Several national bodies have been formed in countries to encourage humane use and care of animals used for experiments. Before an animal experiment is designed, there is to be a recognition of ethical principles and awareness of scientific responsibilities. International Council for Laboratory Animal Science (ICLAS) is the apex body and currently has a membership of about 100 countries. It remains dedicated to the advancing human and animal health and promote ethical care and use of laboratory animals (Saraf, and Kumaraswamy 6-9).
Public opinion polls have shown that the majority of people do approve the use of animals in labs, provided they do not undergo any inhumane treatment. In fact, animals should be used for research only when there are no other alternatives.
There is no denying that animal experiments have contributed majorly towards the understanding of different diseases and for better treatment methods. Nevertheless, the issue regarding the inhumane treatment of animals in labs has always been there. Only, the opinions have become more vocal in the recent years. Organizations like PETA [People for Ethical Treatment of Animals], IFAW [International Fund for Animal Welfare] etc., have always protested against the use of animal in education and research. Animal rights activists have been working towards highest standards of care of animals ( Saraf, and Kumaraswamy 6-9).
The average doctor, surgeon or patient may not come into direct contact with animal studies and it is true that most of them are not even aware of the importance of animal studies in their practice or the drugs used for antibiotics, cancer chemotherapy, etc. that have been based on animal research. Thus, all of us, as a community should be well aware of these issues and be conscious about the legal and ethical issues related to animal testing. One should constantly strive to make the world a better place and free of disease not just for humans but also for the animals.
The new technologies are being widely embraced by scientists, and they are using them increasingly to make drug testing not only cheaper, but also ethical and more precise. Animal testing is slowly being replaced by the computer models and new technologies.Conclusion Having discussed the abovementioned subject, the paper concludes that there are several aspects to the issue of animal testing. There are people who support animal testing while several people, as well as organizations, oppose animal testing. Animal testing has proved to be beneficial for human beings in the area of health, biology and defense.It is true that animal testing has benefited humans in different ways since centuries, however, it is also true that they undergo pain and suffering. Animal testing has benefited human beings in the area of health, biology and defense.
There is a new sensitivity emerging in the society related to the right use of living animals in education and testing. There is no denying that animal testing has led to the discovery and creation of several wonderful drugs that have lessened human suffering, advanced scientific understanding and saved many lives, but it is also true that the experiments and testing done on animals lead to distress and pain for the animals. It is no surprise to see animal testing raise some complex questions. Who will decide if the animals carry just as many rights as humans to be free of pain and exploitation? In the broader context of ethical and social values, there is a need of critical thinking about the use of animals in scientific research.
The intense debate on the ethics of animal testing in drug and medical research has encouraged scientists and researchers to start looking at alternative ways of developing and testing drugs. The technology is certainly playing a very important role in this direction. Use of computer modeling will perhaps eliminate the use of animals for testing completely. At the pace these technologies are advancing, it is hoped that animal testing will be rendered obsolete in the coming years.
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