6/7/10
Some say monkey research is cruel, expensive and useless
Puerto Rico Daily Sun - By Peggy Ann Bliss
Reactions from religious persons, veterinarians, animal activists and others around the island and the United States began to arrive Monday after the announcement of the $12 million National Institute of Health grant to the University of Puerto Rico Medical Center to study AIDS immunity through research with monkeys.The study, which began six months ago and already has confirmed some results, is geared at understanding immune reactions in prostitutes who have unprotected sex with persons infected with HIV, the Human Immunodeficient Virus. Scientists, including Primate Center Director Edmundo Kraiselburd, claim that there is no other way to arrive at the data to prove their hypothesis, which is that some men contain particles in their semen which could act as repressors to the entrance of the HIV virus into a woman’s vagina. The most emphatic reaction came from Justin Goodman, associate director of the Laboratory Investigations Department from the People for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. He said: “HIV/AIDS experiments on primates are incredibly cruel and scientifically fraudulent. These intelligent, social, sensitive animals are ripped from their families, locked in cages and infected with a virus that causes them to suffer drastic weight loss, major organ failure, breathing problems and neurological disorders before they die excruciating deaths or are killed.
“In
addition to being unethical, HIV/AIDS experiments on primates have been
a complete scientific failure. Monkeys do not develop HIP or AIRS and all
of the more than 80 vaccines for HIV/AIDS that were developed using animals
and brought to human trials have failed. In some cases, they made humans
more vulnerable to the virus.” He took issue with Kraiselburd for
saying the animal rights legislature in the U.S. was the strictest in the
world. “Not nearly,” he protested. “[The U.S.] allows
animals to be burned, cut open, shocked, poisoned, socially isolated, starved,
dehydrated, forcibly restrained, addicted to drugs and brain-damaged. “No
experiment, no matter how painful or insignificant is prohibited. Even when
alternatives to animal use are available, experimenters do not need to use
them. The law simply does not protect animals in labs. “It is shameful
and dishonest for experimenters to suggest that they have any respect for
these animals at all. They use them like disposable laboratory equipment
and throw them in the trash when they’re done. “Billions of
dollars are being wasted on these inhumane, dead-end studies while millions
of people are contracting HIV and other cases have progressed to full-blown
AIDS. There are modern in-vitro and clinical research methods that don’t
harm animals and actually hold promised to find effective vaccines and treatments
for HIV/AIDS. It is unethical to continue to abuse animals and waste precious
resources needed to push forward cutting-edge human-relevant research that
really has a chance of helping people.From the University of California
comes a reaction from Nedim C. Buyukmihci, V.M.D.. Emeritus professor of
veterinary medicine also came out against the study: “We will not
learn how to help people with AIDS by forcing this disease on monkeys,”
said the specialist in veterinary ophthalmology in a written communiqué.
“It would make more sense scientifically to study the immune system
of the people in question to learn the difference between the susceptible
group and [the resistant group.] Further studies can be done involving cell
cultures of, for example, lymphoid cells from these people. This human-based
approach will lead to results ...applicable to people; the monkey studies
will not and have never done so to date. In a recent study, scientists used
genetically modified human tissue to treat patients and have shown that
this is a promising avenue of research.” Delma Fleming, psychologist/psychotherapist,
and animal activist in Ponce, was brief in her comments.
“These experiments fill the pockets of too many; they are unnecessary,
irrelevant, possibly repetitive, and a macro waste of taxpayers money,”
she said. Sally Figueroa, founder of PARE Este, an animal rescue organization
in Fajardo, also opposes the work on monkeys, which she believes is not
even helpful or necessary. “Besides the outrageous cruelty of using
these animals for this research, any conclusions found in studying primates
may very well not be pertinent to humans, because primates are not humans.”
Several leaders from the Episcopal church, which has launched a special
mission to help animals, objected to the work on animals. Rev. Aida Alvarez
of the Church of the Resurrection in Manatí had this to say: “It
is sad that people consider themselves superior to the animal kingdom which
inclines them to use animals to find a cure for humans. If human beings
could see completely the value of a life, whether animal or human, they
might already have found a better way than taking the life of a little animal.
“They have not yet taken a stand on finding alternative ways, and
they don’t seem to respect a little cat or a little bunny who dies
to save us.”
http://www.prdailysun.com/index.php?page=news.article&id=1278390661
