Do we have the right to perform experiments

Do we have the right to perform experiments on animals? Barbara Malinowska Department of Experimental Physiology and Pathophysiology Medical University of Białystok Poland

Galen of Pergamon father of experimental physiology “Vivisectionists, who use living animals for their experiments, certainly act cruelly, although their aim is praiseworthy, and they can justify their cruelty, since animals must be regarded as man’s instruments; 1846 ether R. Koch Franco N. : Animal experiments in biomedical research: A historical perspective. Animals 2013, 3, 238.

Estonia – 81% Denmark – 78% Lithuania – 78% Poland – 69%; 13% Luxemburg - 32% Switzerland – 30% Germany – 61%; 23%

Animal rights activists NO! Ø it causes suffering to animals; Ø the benefits to human beings are not proven; Ø experiments violate the rights of animals; Ø any benefits to human beings that animal testing does provide could be produced in other ways; Ø animals surely deserve to live their lives.

YES! ANIMAL RESEARCH SAVES LIVES SUFFERING DURING EXPERIMENTS IS MINIMIZED!!!

ANIMAL RESEARCH HELPS ANIMALS TOO Veterinary medicine and animal testing

mice and men are around 99% genetically similar heart human pig

Animals are used to: Ø understand how diseases affect living tissue Ø develop and test treatments for human and animals Ø train future health-care professionals

RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTS ON ANIMALS

TREATMENT FOR RABIES (DOGS, RABBITS);

LEPROSY RICKETS – treatment for RICKETS (dogs); LEPROSY (monkeys, armadillos); etc. – prevention of DIPHTHERIA (horses); POLIO (rabbits); RUBELLA (monkeys) RUBELLA DIPHTHERIA POLIO

– discovery of INSULIN (dogs); MODERN ANAESTHESIA (dogs); DNA (mice & rats) – development of laparoscopic surgical techniques (pigs); open heart surgery (dogs);

Prof. Geoffrey Raisman Dr. Paweł Tabakow Darek Fidyk Repair of spinal cord injury by transplantation of olfactory ensheathing cells. Paralysed man walks after spinal research breakthrough 2014

Of the 103 NOBEL PRIZES in physiology or medicine given since 1901, on 83 occasions work conducted on vetrabrate species (other than human) was awarded 2014 Franco N. : Animal experiments in biomedical research: A historical perspective. Animals 2013, 3, 238. May-Britt Moser, Edvard Moser, and their rats that they use in their groundbreaking neuroscience research.

EDUCATION

Virtual frog and virtual scalpel animal section on-line

Good science and good animal care go hand-in-hand Ø Good science requires a good animal care. Ø Animals that are in poor condition, discomfort or pain are poor research subjects. Ø Animal well-being supports the integrity of the research.

We seek a cure for diseases Only clear regulations and policies can reconcile both sides and help to ensure the human treatment of animals They see a rat in a cage Kehinde EO, Med Princ Pract. 2013; 22 Suppl 1: 52 -61

REGULATIONS OF ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION Animal Experiments Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes

Animal Experiments Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes „It is essential, both on moral and scientific grounds, to ensure that each use of an animal is carefully evalueated as to the scientific or educational validity, usefulness and relevance of the expected results of that use” „The likely harm to the animal should be balanced against the expected benefits of the project”

National Ethics Committee for Experiments on Animals Local Ethics Committees for Experiments on Animals

Number of members of Ethics Committee for Experiments on Animals national local 15 12 Scientist (biologists, medical, veterinary doctors, pharmacists etc. ) 9 (60%) 6 (50%) Humanists (ethicists, philosophers, lawyers etc. ) 3 (20%) 3 (25%) Members of organizations connecting with animal protecion 3 (20%) 3 (25%) Total YES! 2005: 51% YES 2015: 2/3 YES

The 3 R’s principles William Moy Stratton Russell and Rex Leonard Burch. 1959 Replacement Reduction Refinement

Replacement Ø computer-based systems & mathematical modelling; Ø cell, tissue and organ cultures; Ø use of lower organisms (bacteria and fungi) Ø physico-chemical techniques; e. g. , the commercial test system EYTEX can predict whether a chemical will irritate the eyes,

Reduction Minimizing the number of animals used in experiments by: Ø improving experimental and data analysis techniques; Ø information (to reduce unnecessary duplication of animal work); Ø performing pilot studies to determine some of the potential problems in an experiment before numerous animals are used; Ø gathering a maximum amount of information from each animal, Ø using the appropriate species of animal so that useful data are collected

Refinement Ø improving animal welfare in laboratories; Ø refining experimental protocols to minimize pain or distress whenever possible.

Local Ethics Committees for Experiments on Animals 1. determination of the level of severity; 2. consideration of humane endpoints; 3. determination of the indispensability of the experimental proposal; 4. classification into applied or basic research; 5. determination of the probability of success 6. cost-benefit analysis

1. Determination of the level of severity Ø non-recovery (anaesthesia); Ø mild (short-term mild pain) Ø moderate; Ø severe

A human endpoint It can be defined as the point at which an experimental animal's pain and/or distress is terminated, minimized or reduced, by taking action such as euthanasia the animal humanely, terminating a painful procedure, or giving treatment to relieve pain and/or distress.

Determination of the indispensability of the experimental proposal There are no alternative ways!

Classification into applied or basic research

5. Determination of the probability of success. 6. Cost-benefit analysis - pain, - suffering - distress Potential benefits of experiments on animals to humans, other animals and enviroment Rollin B. : Animal research: a moral science. EMBO reports, 2007; 8: 521

Local Ethics Committees for Experiments on Animals YES! Non-technical report for the general public Experiments on animals

1. Using animals for research activities is a privilege, not (and) a right! 2. It is important to keep focusing on the continuous improvement of the wellbeing of laboratory animals, as well as further development of replacement alternatives and regulations for animal experiments.

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