 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
17/1/10
I AGREE
we need an open dialogue about animal experimentation issues (“How
would you feel if this was you?”, Magazine, last week). It is now
widely acknowledged that, like humans, animals suffer pain and distress.
Researchers have described depression and anxiety disorders in animals used
in experiments. Many excuses historically used to justify abuses of human
research subjects are now offered to defend animal research practices. We
must reconsider the protection of animals and also the failures of animal
experimentation. Genetic differences across species manifest as profound
differences in disease physiology and treatment effectiveness. That explains
why more than 80 HIV/Aids vaccines and approximately 150 stroke treatments
successful in animals have failed in human trials. A move towards computer
models, human cell lines and other human-based methods would be both ethically
and scientifically
superior.
Dr Hope Ferdowsian, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Washington DC, USA
The Sunday
Times.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/letters/article6990972.ece