The developments in medicine since the end of the 19 th century have been remarkable. In one well-publicized experiment pigs were burned without anesthetic.
Until such a discovery animals must continue to play a critical role in helping researchers test potential new drugs and medical treatments for effectiveness and safety and in identifying any undesired or dangerous side effects such as infertility birth defects liver damage toxicity or cancer-causing potential.
Medical discoveries from animal testing. For as long as doctors have investigated how our bodies function and how they are affected when we become ill discoveries in medicine have been made by studying animals. In 1628 William Harvey showed that blood flows through the circulatory system by dissection studies and experiments on living animals. In more recent times modern medicine has enabled the prevention or treatment of many serious illnesses.
The research and development of these discoveries. The developments in medicine since the end of the 19 th century have been remarkable. It is now almost impossible to imagine a time before it was known how the human body fought the diseases carried by micro-organisms.
Since then medical research has transformed healthcare extending and improving the quality of life for millions. Many of these remarkable discoveries would not have been possible without vital experiments on animals. Here is a list of medical breakthroughs attained through the humane treatment of animals rather than cruel experimentation.
Global Animal Global Animal From insights about tumors and diabetes to new bandages animals have provided us with resources resulting in medical breakthroughs. In the 12th Century Arabian physician Ibn Zuhr introduced animal testing as an experimental method for testing surgical procedures before applying them to human patients. 2 Zuhrs work showed research on animals in the medical field taking animal experiments beyond mere understanding and exploration of the body.
Animal Testing and COVID-19. The COVID-19 coronavirus global pandemic brought attention to the debate about animal testing as researchers sought to develop a vaccine for the virus as quickly as possible. Vaccines are traditionally tested on animals to ensure their safety and effectiveness.
News broke in Mar. 2020 that there was a shortage of the genetically modified mice that were needed. The first premise says that animal research was a vital role for all medical advances which is fact-based.
However it is not true because there are medical discoveries that are founded without the use of animal testing such as clinical research. The second premise states. Until such a discovery animals must continue to play a critical role in helping researchers test potential new drugs and medical treatments for effectiveness and safety and in identifying any undesired or dangerous side effects such as infertility birth defects liver damage toxicity or cancer-causing potential.
Animal experiments are essential to basic biological and medical research cre-ating a classic dilemma as the acquisition of knowledge for the good of man- kind places a burden on animals The protection of animals is high on the agenda of most European countries and sets limits on research In 2010 fol-lowing long and controversial discussions the European Parliament adopted a EU directive. Scientists often study the effects of drugs and chemicals on animals before they deem them safe for humans. When possible they try to perform these toxicology tests using biochemical or cell-based in vitro systems instead of with animals such as mice.
Ernie Prentice a nationally recognized expert in the regulation and ethics of animal research and a member of the institutional animal care and use committee at the University of Nebraska Medical Center can remember a time when animals were routinely subjected to painful measures without pain control. In one well-publicized experiment pigs were burned without anesthetic. People who support animal testing argue that almost every medical discovery in the 20th century used animals in some way.
They say that even complex computers cannot model connections between molecules cells tissues organs organisms and the environment. Many important discoveries were made because of animal testing. The Collaborative Approach to Meta-Analysis and Review of Animal Data from Experimental Studies CAMARADES has been at the forefront of conducting systematic reviews of animal studies.
Initially focusing on stroke it later expanded to include neurological disease bone cancer multiple sclerosis and Parkinsons disease. The discovery and development of new medicines vaccines and medical devices for people and animals is a long and complex process with a number of stages many of which involve animal experiments. National and international regulations currently require that new medicines are tested on animals before being licensed for use.
The earliest references to animal testing are found in the writings of the Greeks in the 2nd and 4th centuries BC. Aristotle and Erasistratus were among the first to perform experiments on living animals. Galen a 2nd-century Roman physician dissected pigs and.
Dangerous animal testing Vioxx a drug used to treat arthritis was found to be safe when tested in monkeys and five other animal species but has been estimated to have caused around 320000 heart attacks and strokes and 140000 deaths worldwide.