Outline I. Introduction
Animals can be ferocious and wild, but they can also be gentle and tame. Some are our pets, and some are powerful forces that are to be respected and admired. It is as easy to appreciate a loyal dog as it is to be in awe of a lion in its’ natural habitat. But the truth that many people either don’t know or don’t appreciate is that animals are essential to human existence and have played a vital role in improving the quality of our lives.
They have been providing us with answers to our most complex medical questions for decades. Their role in finding cures for diseases, treatments for illness, and product safety is immense. First, we will examine how animal testing has benefited both man and beast. Second, I will dispel the belief that animals used in research are mistreated. Last, we will learn how the process of drug development is carried out.
II. Body
Animals used in biomedical research help us understand how our bodies work.
Through this practice, we have been able to literally cure disease, find new therapy for illness, ensure the safety of the medicine, and evaluate medical procedures before they are ever used on humans. The fact of the matter is that without animal experimentation many of us would not be alive today, and neither would our pets… “Without animal research, millions of dogs, cats, birds, and farm animals would be dead from more than 200 diseases, including anthrax, distemper, rabies, feline leukemia, and canine parvovirus. (California Veterinary Medical Association). In regards to humans, almost every major medical breakthrough in the last 100 years has been accomplished through testing on animals. The foundation for Biomedical Research states that “… practically every present-day protocol for the prevention, treatment, cure, and control of disease, pain, and suffering is based on knowledge attained through research with lab animals. ” (Pro-Test). These medical breakthroughs include vaccinations against smallpox, measles, mumps, diphtheria, and tetanus; development of anesthesia, antibiotics, and insulin; use of cardiac pacemakers and heart bypass surgery; surgical advancements for organ transplants, hip replacements, and cataract surgery; and treatments for a host of diseases, including diabetes, multiple sclerosis, AIDS, and children’s leukemia. Many of the cosmetics that we use every day have also been tested on animals. The number of animals used for cosmetic testing has been greatly reduced as the potential hazards have been eliminated.
Products such as sunscreens, anti-dandruff shampoos, fluoride toothpaste, and anti-acne creams could not have been proven safe without the use of animal testing since they contain ingredients that cause a chemical change in the body that could be harmful, even deadly. Without these safety tests, it would be impossible to ensure that these products are safe. You may think of animal testing and picture a wet bunny all beat up and shivering in a cold barren cage.
However, this is not the case, for the law requires that the lab animals are housed in an environment appropriate for their species and are well cared for (Institute for Laboratory Animal Research, 2011). Animals tested on in a laboratory can actually adapt with minimal stress and are provided with everything they need by highly trained professionals. Animal care standards in a testing facility are, more often than not, better than those at shelters, pet stores, even farms. However, I do not wish to neglect the test animals’ discomfort, for animal testing can model severe human injuries and illnesses.
So, what do we do to minimize pain? Current public policy in most countries calls for treatment or prevention of laboratory animal pain whenever possible through the use of anesthetics. High standards of animal care are required to be kept at all times, and animal testing is used only when there are no other alternatives at the very end of a long process of safety data collection. (International HIV & AIDS Charity). The process of safety data collection for the development of drugs, in particular, can take in excess of twelve years and begins with computer modeling (AR. ). Scientists are able to model and simulate various potential drug compounds during this stage. Then, they move onto in vitro research, or “test-tube experiments” which involve analyzing the specific properties of the potential drug compounds and eliminating those which are unsuitable for the overall development of the new drug. The few compounds that are left are then developed more fully. Exploratory development is next, which applies even more computer modeling and in vitro tests, and possibly the first animal experiments to examine the effect of the drug on the body.
Once the drug has been completely developed, it is ready for clinical trials on humans to verify the previous experiments on animals. Clinical trials are carried out and continue after the drug has been licensed. Once the drug is licensed, it is sold to the pharmaceutical companies and long-term side effects are then observed in humans. As you can see, before we resort to animal trials, we have done all we can to ensure the drug’s therapeutic properties. By now you should see just how vital animal testing is, why we must continue, and how the process really works when it comes to animal testing.
III. Conclusion
Today, we have covered three major topics about animal testing. First, we looked at what animal testing has done for humans and animals. Then, we dispelled some misinformed ideas about the quality of care for lab animals. Finally, we went over the process of biomedical research with regard to the development of drugs… Animals feel pain, stress, and even love. As humans, we are naturally attracted to animals as pets because they remind us of our own children or family. I believe that all animals deserve to live a healthy, happy life.
Because of the sacrifice that certain animal species have made, they have prolonged their lifespan as well as our own; and because of the new developments in the realm of medicine that animal testing has provided us with, eventually, this sacrifice will no longer be necessary and we can begin utilizing non-animal test subjects. Until then, everyone should understand that no experiment conducted on an animal, whether it had positive or negative results, was done in vain; and definitely not with malicious intent.
Works Cited
- AR. i. (n. d.). The Process. Retrieved from animalresearch.info – The global resource for scientific evidence in Animal research on November 14, 2010 Web site: http://www.animalresearch.info/en/drug-development/the-process/
- California Veterinary Medical Association. (n. d.). Animal Research: How It Benefits Both Humans and Animals. Retrieved from California Veterinary Medical Association on November 14, 2012 Website: http://www.cvma.net/doc.asp?ID=2403
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Research. (2011). Guide for the care and use of Laboratory animals. Retrieved from Office of Extramural Research – National Institutes of Health on November 14, 2012 Website: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/Guide-for-the-care-and-use-of-Laboratory-animals.pdf
- International HIV & AIDS Charity. (n. d.). HIV Drugs, Vaccines, and Animal Testing. Retrieved from AVERTing HIV and AIDS on November 14, 2012 Website: http://www.avert.org/hiv-animal-testing.htm
- Pro-Test. (n.d.). Benefits. Retrieved from Pro-Test Standing Up For Science on November 14, 2012 Website: http://www.pro-test.org.uk/facts.php? lt=c
