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 ...
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
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 />
suffering, distress or lasting harm’ must be licensed by the Home Office. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> term<br />
‘procedure’ is a technical term that covers more than just the c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s entailed by an<br />
experiment (or series <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> experiments). Procedures also include specific c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s relating to<br />
the breeding, handling and housing <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> laboratory <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> that may affect their welfare.<br />
1.7 Estimates <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the total number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> used annually in <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> around the world are<br />
difficult to obtain and range from between 50 to 100 milli<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g>. 9 In the UK,<br />
approximately 2.72 milli<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> were used in scientific procedures during 2003. 10 Thirty<br />
years ago, twice as many <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> were used. However, it is widely expected that advances in<br />
genetic <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> will reverse this decline and lead to a renewed increase in the coming years,<br />
mainly in the use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> rodents (see paragraph 5.23).<br />
Issues raised by specific types <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> animal <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
1.8 Two questi<strong>on</strong>s are fundamental to the 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>. First, does<br />
the scientific use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> lead to valid, useful and relevant results in specific areas?<br />
Sec<strong>on</strong>dly, is it permissible for <strong>on</strong>e species to cause pain, suffering and death to another to<br />
achieve aims that primarily benefit the former species? In order to c<strong>on</strong>sider these questi<strong>on</strong>s,<br />
we must explore a number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> complex issues. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>se include a discussi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the arguments<br />
about the moral status <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> humans and <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g>, and ways <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> morally justifying specific kinds<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> treatment. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> usefulness and relevance <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the different kinds <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> in which<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> are involved need to be examined, as well as the degree <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> pain and suffering which<br />
they may experience in <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>.<br />
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION<br />
1.9 It is unhelpful to c<strong>on</strong>sider these issues merely in the abstract. Rather, it is necessary to<br />
examine the types <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> that give rise to particular c<strong>on</strong>cerns and we briefly c<strong>on</strong>sider<br />
four examples. First, knowledge about the genetics <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> animal traits enables <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>ers to<br />
‘design’ <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> with specific features, using different methods <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> genetic modificati<strong>on</strong><br />
(GM). Some people perceive such activities as an instance <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> increasing commodificati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g>. Critics <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the GM approach are also c<strong>on</strong>cerned about the large numbers <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
(mostly rodents) required to produce GM strains and the fact that the welfare implicati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> genetic modificati<strong>on</strong> are <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten unforeseeable (see Chapters 4, 5 and 7).<br />
1.10 <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> sec<strong>on</strong>d example c<strong>on</strong>cerns the use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> as models for human disease. In the case<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> hepatitis C, in the 1980s <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>ers infected chimpanzees in order to understand the<br />
pathology <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the disease and to develop a vaccine (see Chapter 6). Researchers have also<br />
bred or created by other means <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> that are affected by particular diseases so that<br />
they can study the processes involved, and develop possible interventi<strong>on</strong>s. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>se models<br />
include mice with diseases such as cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or transmissible<br />
sp<strong>on</strong>giform encephalopathies (TSEs) such as BSE (Bovine Sp<strong>on</strong>giform Encephalopathy, see<br />
Chapters 6 and 7). Many people object to the idea <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> producing <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> that will exhibit<br />
the symptoms <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a serious disease, whether by selective breeding, genetic modificati<strong>on</strong> or<br />
other means.<br />
1.11 Thirdly, experiments <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> that, in evoluti<strong>on</strong>ary terms, are most closely related to<br />
humans, such as primates, have been particularly c<strong>on</strong>troversial. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>y are used in many areas<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> neurobiology because their brains share a great number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> structural and functi<strong>on</strong>al<br />
features with human brains (see Chapter 5 and 6). While this similarity has scientific<br />
9 Orlans FB (1998) History and ethical regulati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> animal experimentati<strong>on</strong>: an internati<strong>on</strong>al perspective, in A Compani<strong>on</strong> to<br />
Bio<str<strong>on</strong>g>ethics</str<strong>on</strong>g>, Kuhse H and Singer P (Editors) (Oxford: Blackwell), p400.<br />
10 See Appendix 2 and Home Office (2004) Statistics <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Scientific Procedures <strong>on</strong> Living Animals Great Britain 2003 (L<strong>on</strong>d<strong>on</strong>:<br />
HMSO). <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> Statistics give details about all <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> used under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (A(SP)A), i.e. all<br />
living vertebrates and members <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the Octopus vulgaris (comm<strong>on</strong> octopus) species used in <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>y do not include<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> that are outside <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> these categories, such as insects.<br />
7