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Is the use of animals in testing ethical?

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Is the use of animals in testing ethical?

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Does data collected through animal testing accurately predict human outcomes and are there alternative methods to animal testing?

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Does data collected through animal testing accurately predict human outcomes and are there alternative methods to animal testing?

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Animal testing, also known as animal experimentation, animal research, and in vivo testing, is when animals are used to test the safety and efficacy of compounds produced by the chemical, cosmetic, and drug industries.

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Concerns over the ethical implications of medical research involving humans and animals arose in the late 1800s and continued into the first half of the 20th century as a result of exploitive research projects, including a series of medical experiments on large numbers of prisoners by the Nazi German regime during World War II.

This prompted the establishment of several ethical guidelines in research and testing. These included guidelines protecting animals, starting with the Cruelty to Animals Act in Britain in 1876 and later the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act in the U.S. in 1966, were established.

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"While strides have been made in the protection of both human and animal research subjects, the nature of these protections is markedly different. Human research protections emphasize specific principles aimed at protecting the interests of individuals and populations, sometimes to the detriment of the scientific question. This differs significantly from animal research guidelines, where the importance of the scientific question being researched commonly takes precedence over the interests of individual animals"(Ferdowsian and Beck).

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"Studies from multiple disciplines provide objective evidence of animals' abilities to experience pain. Animals demonstrate coordinated responses to pain and many emotional states that are similar to those exhibited by humans"(Ferdowsian and Beck).

"Varying forms of depression have been repeatedly reported in animals, including nonhuman primates, dogs, pigs, cats, birds and rodents, among others"(Ferdowsian and Beck).

"Anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, have been described in animals including chimpanzees and elephants"(Ferdownsian and Beck).

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"Several papers have examined the concordance between animal and human data, demonstrating that findings in animals were not reliably replicated in human clinical research" (Ferdowsian and Beck).

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"The value of animal use for predicting human outcomes has also been questioned in the regulatory toxicology field, which relies on a codified set of highly standardized animal experiments for assessing various types of toxicity"(Ferdowsian and Beck).

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The report titled "Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy," published in 2007 urges the adoption of in vitro methods in toxicology. The report discusses flaws in traditional toxicity testing and advocated for a new approach to better predict human health effects. One that shifts away from traditional animal testing.

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Toxicology is a field of science that helps us understand the harmful effects that chemicals, substances, or situations, can have on people, animals, and the environment.

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In vivo is Latin for “within the living.” It refers to studies that are done within living organisms. For example, studies performed on rats. In vitro is Latin for “within the glass.” A study performed in vitro is done outside a living organism. For example, in a test tube or lab.

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The report emphasized that these methods can provide more predictive data, more quickly and affordably than traditional in vivo methods.

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The development of in vitro models offers a more humane, accurate, and affordable alternative to traditional animal testing in the field of toxicology. Eliminating the need for animal testing.

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"Recent systematic reviews of treatments for various clinical conditions demonstrated that animal studies have been poorly predictive of human outcomes in the fields of neurology and vascular disease, among others"(Ferdowsian and Beck).

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The inaccuracies in the data collected from animal testing in predicting human health outcomes demonstrate the unnecessary use of animal testing. Furthermore, several more accurate and economical alternatives have been developed eliminating the need for animal testing.

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It does not accurately predict results in humans

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It does not accurately predict results in humans

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Are there inconsistencies within laws that attempt to make animal testing more humane?

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Are there inconsistencies within laws that attempt to make animal testing more humane?

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The U.S. Animal Welfare Act excludes purpose-bred birds, rats, or mice, which comprise more than 90% of animals used in research. It also excludes protection for birds and rats. In contrast, certain dogs and cats have received special attention and protection. The U.S. guidelines overseeing research conducted with federal funding include protections for all vertebrates. There is a great amount of inconsistency in upholding the laws in place to establish more humane practices in animal testing.

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There are several ethical and regulation-related inconsistencies with existing laws in attempts to make animal testing more humane.

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Animals display characteristics that are similar to that of humans.

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Animals display characteristics that are similar to that of humans.

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These findings challenge our assumptions about species similarities and differences. Particularly about the similarities between humans and the animals used in testing. This raises ethical dilemmas regarding the use of animals in research and whether or not it is morally correct to subject them to harmful testing for human benefit. Therefore, it is clear that the use of animals in testing can not be considered ethical.

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"Potential causes of harm include invasive procedures, disease, and deprivation of basic physiological needs. Other sources of harm for many animals include social deprivation and loss of the ability to fulfill natural behaviors, among other factors"(Ferdowsian and Beck).

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Ethical and Scientific Considerations Regarding Animal Testing and Research