The ethics of research involving animals - Nuffield Council on ...
The ethics of research involving animals - Nuffield Council on ...
The ethics of research involving animals - Nuffield Council on ...
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T h e e t h i c s o f r e s e a r c h i n v o l v i n g a n i m a l s<br />
We begin our discussi<strong>on</strong> with the assumpti<strong>on</strong> that whether or not <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> in these areas yields<br />
valid, useful and relevant results needs to be judged <strong>on</strong> a case by case basis. For practically all<br />
basic <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> it can be argued that data produced are valid ins<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ar as it is c<strong>on</strong>ducted in a<br />
methodologically sound manner, since any such completed <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> project adds to the scientific<br />
body <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> knowledge (provided results are made reas<strong>on</strong>ably available to the scientific community).<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>troversies about the acceptability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> basic <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> therefore focus primarily <strong>on</strong> its<br />
usefulness and relevance, and <strong>on</strong> the ethical questi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> whether it is necessary and justifiable, if<br />
it causes specific degrees <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> pain, suffering or distress to the <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> involved (paragraphs 3.53<br />
and 14.38). <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> questi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> validity, usefulness and relevance is more complicated when <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
are used as models for humans, as the questi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> whether reliable extrapolati<strong>on</strong>s can actually<br />
be made from <strong>on</strong>e species to the other, needs to be addressed. Accordingly, we c<strong>on</strong>sider:<br />
■ the biological basis for using <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> as models for human diseases (paragraphs 4.8–4.10);<br />
■ examples <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> where it has been possible to make valid and useful inferences (see for<br />
example, Box 5.2, paragraphs 6.4–6.31, 7.7–7.8, Boxes 8.1, 8.2 and 8.3, paragraphs 9.5–9.7);<br />
■ examples <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> where progress has been difficult (paragraphs 6.33–6.39);<br />
■ claims that the very c<strong>on</strong>cept <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> using <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> as models for humans is flawed, misleading<br />
and dangerous because a small number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> products such as medicines that have involved<br />
animal <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> and testing in their development were withdrawn from the market<br />
because <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> adverse reacti<strong>on</strong>s in people (Boxes 8.6 and 8.7).<br />
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS<br />
C<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> the scientific validity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> animal <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> and testing<br />
We c<strong>on</strong>clude that because <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> evoluti<strong>on</strong>ary c<strong>on</strong>tinuities in the form <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> behavioural, anatomical,<br />
physiological, neurological, biochemical and pharmacological similarities between <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> and<br />
humans there are sufficient grounds for the scientific hypothesis that, in specific cases, <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
can be useful models to study particular aspects <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> biological processes in humans, and to<br />
examine the effects <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> therapeutic and other interventi<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
In view <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the examples <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>sidered in Chapters 5-9 we refute two comm<strong>on</strong>ly<br />
encountered generalisati<strong>on</strong>s about <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>involving</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> that is undertaken with the aim <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
yielding results that are applicable to humans: (i) that all such <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> is directly applicable to<br />
humans or (ii) that no animal <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> has ever produced results that are useful and relevant to<br />
humans. Each type <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> or testing has to be judged <strong>on</strong> its own merits (paragraph 10.46).<br />
We therefore agree with the c<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong> made in a recent Report by the Animal Procedures<br />
Committee (APC) that the scientific validity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> animal experiments is:<br />
‘a c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong> capable <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> being fulfilled, but has to be judged case by case and subjected<br />
to detailed critical evaluati<strong>on</strong>.’ 2<br />
IV. Ethical issues raised by animal <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
We begin the explorati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> ethical issues raised by animal <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> in Chapter 3 by c<strong>on</strong>sidering<br />
five main types <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> ethical questi<strong>on</strong> (Box 2). For each questi<strong>on</strong>, we c<strong>on</strong>sider comm<strong>on</strong>ly<br />
encountered arguments to bring clarity to the debate, to identify agreement where it exists, and<br />
to understand the rati<strong>on</strong>ale for the remaining disagreement.<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> questi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> moral status<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> debate about <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>involving</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> is <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten reduced to the questi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> defining the moral<br />
status (or moral importance) <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> humans, and <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g>. We identify three views (paragraph 3.20).<br />
2 Animal Procedures Committee (2003) Review <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the cost-benefit assessment in the use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> in <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>, p26, available<br />
at: http://www.apc.gov.uk/reference/costbenefit.pdf. Accessed <strong>on</strong>: 4 April 2005.<br />
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