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 />
■ Ambitious targets might result in the faster development <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> alternatives, and could<br />
establish a country (such as the UK) as a world leader in this area.<br />
15.66 Those who have major reservati<strong>on</strong>s with regard to the setting <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> targets questi<strong>on</strong> the<br />
feasibility <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the approach and assert that those accountable can be unfairly held<br />
resp<strong>on</strong>sible for unrealistic expectati<strong>on</strong>s. Accordingly they c<strong>on</strong>sider the following:<br />
■ <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>re may be scientific limitati<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong> what can be achieved without using <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> in<br />
specific areas <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>: hence, while setting targets may be feasible in areas such as<br />
cosmetics testing, it may be far more difficult in other areas, especially in basic <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>.<br />
■ <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>re may be also pragmatic difficulties, especially in areas such as basic <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>, and<br />
many questi<strong>on</strong>s would have to be addressed. For example, how would the demand for<br />
and use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> by the many different <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> groups be assessed? If there were<br />
support for a gross target (such as ‘reduce the number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> animal X by 70 percent by year<br />
Y’, how would such a decisi<strong>on</strong> be implemented? How many <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> could be used by<br />
particular commercial laboratories during that period, and how many by academic<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>ers? How would different capacities <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> coping with possible higher costs <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
implementing Replacement methods be c<strong>on</strong>sidered in the process?<br />
■ <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>re can be no guarantee that targets can be met in all instances: difficulties can arise<br />
in the case <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sudden emergencies, such as the BSE crisis, which might require an<br />
unexpected increase 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>.<br />
■ Setting targets could lead to alternatives being introduced too rapidly, before they have<br />
been subject to rigorous scientific assessment. This could have damaging implicati<strong>on</strong>s for<br />
progress in scientific <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> and the protecti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> human and animal health or the<br />
envir<strong>on</strong>ment, as well as for the credibility <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> alternative methods.<br />
■ If targets are set unilaterally, for example in <strong>on</strong>e country, the <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> or testing may be<br />
exported to other countries.<br />
15.67 We make the following observati<strong>on</strong>s:<br />
■ We welcome the c<strong>on</strong>cept <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> targets as a useful and universally used means <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> measuring<br />
progress towards specific aims. But we also see problems in applying such a strategy to<br />
<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>, where, in many cases, the setting <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> specific quantitative<br />
(numerical) targets is felt by <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>ers using <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> to be unhelpful. Instead, we suggest<br />
that reducti<strong>on</strong> could be encouraged and m<strong>on</strong>itored by means <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a more flexible approach.<br />
One way would be to c<strong>on</strong>sider qualitative markers <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> reducti<strong>on</strong>, for example, aimed at<br />
reducing <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> that causes substantial suffering. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> Government’s Interdepartmental<br />
Group <strong>on</strong> the Three Rs should undertake or commissi<strong>on</strong> a feasibility study to identify which<br />
kinds <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> reducti<strong>on</strong> markers could be set in particular areas <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> applied and/or basic <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>.<br />
■ In principle, reducti<strong>on</strong> markers should <strong>on</strong>ly be set if they can be linked to a realistic<br />
strategy for developing the necessary Replacement methods that will not compromise<br />
the amount and quality <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> basic and applied biomedical <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> and testing that would<br />
otherwise be licensed by the Home Office. Reducti<strong>on</strong> markers that ‘rati<strong>on</strong> discovery’ are<br />
not compatible with the scientific approach.<br />
■ <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> development <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> any strategy should primarily be the resp<strong>on</strong>sibility <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> legislative<br />
bodies and governments, as should the task <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> providing the infrastructure and some <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
the funding to facilitate the process, in close c<strong>on</strong>sultati<strong>on</strong> with stakeholders from<br />
academia, industry and animal protecti<strong>on</strong> groups.<br />
■ In implementing reducti<strong>on</strong> markers it is crucial that initiatives at the nati<strong>on</strong>al level are<br />
complemented, although not limited by, initiatives at the internati<strong>on</strong>al level.<br />
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