by Mama Fen

Created on: May 20, 2007   Last Updated: May 21, 2007

Animal testing has long been a staple for the pharmaceutical industry, and continues this day as a popular means of determining whether a substance is safe for human use. Thanks to this important means of research, science has developed a multitude of vaccinations, drugs, and treatment programs that benefit both animals and people.

The Foundation for Biomedical Research is a group that monitors and speaks out on the use of animals in testing. The American Medical Association and the American College of Surgeons both support humane animal research in their mission statements, emphasizing the need for thorough research in accordance with the FDA.

Animals in laboratory facilities are usually monitored by licensed veterinarians. Experimental treatments are given under close scrutiny, and all effects are carefully logged so that repeat trials are kept to a minimum.

Usually the natural life span of a research animal is much shorter than that of a human being, so results can be seen and documented much more rapidly, speeding the research process. What would take many years with a human subject can take a few short weeks with an animal. Many animals also have qualities and properties that would be desirable in human medicine that people do not have.

As an example the zebra danio, a common fish that is quickly becoming a favorite in genetic research, is capable of hatching and reaching sexual maturity in a matter of weeks, as opposed to years or even decades in larger animals. They also possess regenerative properties of the fins, heart, and eyes, which, once studied and understood, may enable human beings to heal tissues that would be otherwise destroyed. Thus, study of the danio is quick, and could lead to amazing benefits in medicine that would not be available through study of human tissue alone.

Debilitating diseases and illnesses are treated experimentally in animals and successful treatments are then passed on into the medical field. Research and trials using sheep, rabbits, mice, pigs, and even birds has helped to bring about anthrax and flu vaccines, replacement joints and heart valves, hepatitis treatment and prevention, and even cholesterol-lowering medicines. The first successful heart transplant was done with a pig, ensuring that the procedure was safe for human beings.

Chimpanzees are closely related to us genetically, and are the only other species on the planet besides ourselves that are routinely infected by certain diseases. By testing treatments on these

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