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The hope, the challenge, the people: perspectives on animal research

January 11, 2002

The people who agreed to be interviewed and photographed for a new RDS publication to be launched on 15 January are convinced that the use of animals in medical research is essential. They also agree that alternative methods should be sought to replace animal research and testing and that, until these are available, the numbers of animals used should be minimised and the experimental procedures refined to minimise any distress or suffering.

This is what they say in the publication, called `The hope, the challenge, the people`:

Laura, 16, has cystic fibrosis and may not reach her 30th birthday: “I don’t know what ‘normal’ is. To control my cystic fibrosis and diabetes, I take between 50 and 70 tablets, plus two insulin injections and two nebulised drugs, every day. Those medicines have all been tested on animals so I’m very grateful to the people and the animals. Without them, I’d be dead.”

Donald has seen great strides in medicine during his 30-year career as a GP: “When people ask me whether research on live animals is relevant, I tell them that there’s a huge overlap between the medicines doctors prescribe for humans and those vets administer to animals. There are numerous diseases which animals and people both get, although they are different from species to species. Fortunately, we don’t normally catch diseases from animals or vice versa.”

Paul is a surgeon pioneering new surgical transplant techniques through research on rats: “I’m about to investigate how transplanted tissue in the intestines reacts to food and toxins. Does the grafted tissue behave as part of the recipient’s system and mimic its responses, or does the donated material bring its own immune responses with it? Could we transfer food allergies or sensitivities between donor and recipient? No non-animal model can answer these questions because we need to study what happens outside the bowel, in the recipient’s liver and immune system as well.” 

Nancy leads a research team looking for new treatments for stroke and head injury: “I don’t like using animals. I use them because seeing people with devastating illnesses is even worse. The day when we don’t need to use animals, I will be absolutely delighted. Until that day comes, I have absolutely no doubt that the animal research must continue”

Greg, a vet, is responsible for the welfare of animals used in a medical research programme: “As a Named Veterinary Surgeon for a major company, I am the advocate for the animal and I am answerable ultimately to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. That gives me a degree of independence from the company that employs me. I am here for the health and welfare of the animals.”

The publication also includes a timeline of major medical milestones over the last century, an introduction to the issue and further information about RDS. Copies are available from the RDS office, along with two subsidiary publications that present up-to-date information in a lively and accessible way - `Facts and figures on animal research in Great Britain` and `Animals in medical research: a guide to the information available`.

Together, these publications provide useful information for schools, the media, politicians and civil servants: indeed anyone who wants no know more about the use of animals in medical research.

`The hope, the challenge, the people` is available as a pdf file to download from the RDS web site at http://www.rds-online.org.uk

Research Defence Society (RDS)