Which Of The Following Statements Concerning Using Animals In Research Is Correct?

Around half the diseases in the earth have no handling. Agreement how the torso works and how diseases progress, and finding cures, vaccines or treatments, can take many years of painstaking work using a broad range of research techniques. There is overwhelming scientific consensus worldwide that some research using animals is still essential for medical progress.

Animal research in the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland is strictly regulated. For more details on the regulations governing research using animals, go to the United kingdom regulations page.

Mouse being handled

Credit: OU

Why is fauna inquiry necessary?

There is overwhelming scientific consensus worldwide that some animals are still needed in order to make medical progress.

Where animals are used in research projects, they are used as office of a range of scientific techniques. These might include human trials, computer modelling, cell civilization, statistical techniques, and others. Animals are only used for parts of enquiry where no other techniques can deliver the answer.

A living torso is an extraordinarily complex organization. You cannot reproduce a chirapsia eye in a exam tube or a stroke on a figurer. While we know a lot about how a living torso works, there is an enormous amount we just don't know: the interaction between all the unlike parts of a living system, from molecules to cells to systems similar respiration and circulation, is incredibly complex. Even if nosotros knew how every element worked and interacted with every other element, which we are a long manner from understanding, a reckoner hasn't been invented that has the power to reproduce all of those complex interactions - while conspicuously you cannot reproduce them all in a test tube.

While humans are used extensively in Oxford inquiry, at that place are some things which it is ethically unacceptable to utilize humans for. There are also variables which you can control in a mouse (like diet, housing, clean air, humidity, temperature, and genetic makeup) that you could not command in human subjects.

Is information technology morally correct to employ animals for inquiry?

Most people believe that in society to achieve medical progress that volition salvage and improve lives, perhaps millions of lives, limited and very strictly regulated animal use is justified. That conventionalities is reflected in the law, which allows for animal inquiry only under specific circumstances, and which sets out strict regulations on the use and care of animals. It is right that this continues to be something society discusses and debates, only in that location has to be an understanding that without animals we can only make very limited progress against diseases similar cancer, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and HIV.

It'southward worth noting that animate being research benefits animals too: more half the drugs used past vets were adult originally for human medicine.

Aren't animals too different from humans to tell us anything useful?

No. Just by being very complex living, moving organisms they share a huge amount of similarities with humans. Humans and other animals accept much more in common than they have differences. Mice share over 90% of their genes with humans. A mouse has the aforementioned organs as a homo, in the same places, doing the same things. Near of their basic chemical science, prison cell structure and bodily organisation are the same equally ours. Fish and tadpoles share enough characteristics with humans to make them very useful in research. Fifty-fifty flies and worms are used in research extensively and take led to research breakthroughs (though these species are not regulated by the Habitation Office and are not in the Biomedical Sciences Building).

What does research using animals actually involve?

The sorts of procedures enquiry animals undergo vary, depending on the research. Breeding a genetically modified mouse counts as a procedure and this represents a large proportion of all procedures carried out. So does having an MRI (magnetic resonance image) scan, something which is painless and which humans undergo for wellness checks. In some circumstances, being trained to go through a maze or being trained at a reckoner game also counts as a procedure. Taking blood or receiving medication are small-scale procedures that many species of animal can exist trained to do voluntarily for a nutrient reward. Surgery accounts for only a small minority of procedures. All of these are examples of procedures that continue in Oxford's Biomedical Sciences Building.

Mouse pups

Credit: PA Photocall

How many animals are used?

Figures for 2021 show numbers of animals that completed procedures, as declared to the Home Office using their five categories for the severity of the procedure.

Severity	Mice	Rats	Ferrets	Republic of guinea Pigs	Rabbits	NHPs#	Pigs	Other rodents	Other birds	Xenopus	Zebrafish	Other fish	Total
Non-recovery	2966	232	ii	41	0	1	i	28	0	0	162	0	3433
Mild	32601	157	0	14	0	0	3	131	7	0	5066	71	38050
Moderate	31074	309	6	0	0	x	0	0	0	0	214	0	31613
Astringent	852	68	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	i	630	327	1880
Sub-threshold	130415	422	one	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1378	0	132216
Total	197908	1188	9	55	0	13	4	159	7	i	7450	398	207192

# NHPs - Not Man Primates
* Badgers are caught, tagged and released for monitoring in the wild every bit part the piece of work of the Wild fauna Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU).

Oxford also maintains breeding colonies to provide animals for utilize in experiments, reducing the demand for unnecessary transportation of animals.

Figures for 2017 show numbers of animals bred for procedures that were killed or died without being used in procedures:

	Total excluding those involved in creation or maintenance of a GA line	Genetically normal animals killed equally a effect of creation of a new GA line	All animals (other than previously reported) killed for the maintenance of established GA lines	Total
Mice	8851	2000	23721	34572
Rats	762	0	0	762
Xenopus	59	0	0	59
Zebrafish	384	0	0	384

Why must primates be used?

Primates account for nether one-half of one per cent (0.5%) of all animals housed in the Biomedical Sciences Edifice. They are only used where no other species can deliver the research answer, and we continually seek ways to supersede primates with lower orders of animal, to reduce numbers used, and to refine their housing conditions and research procedures to maximise welfare.

However, there are elements of research that tin just exist carried out using primates because their brains are closer to human brains than mice or rats. They are used at Oxford in vital enquiry into brain diseases like Alzheimer'south and Parkinson's. Some are used in studies to develop vaccines for HIV and other major infections.

Primate in lab

Credit: OU

What is washed to primates?

The primates at Oxford spend most of their time in their housing. They are housed in groups with access to play areas where they can groom, fodder for food, climb and swing.

Primates at Oxford involved in neuroscience studies would typically spend a couple of hours a twenty-four hour period doing behavioural piece of work. This is sitting in forepart of a calculator screen doing learning and memory games for food rewards. No suffering is involved and indeed many of the primates appear to observe the games stimulating. They come into the ship cage that takes them to the computer room entirely voluntarily.

After some time (a period of months) demonstrating normal learning and retention through the games, a primate would accept surgery to remove a very pocket-sized amount of brain tissue under anaesthetic. A full course of painkillers is given under veterinary guidance in the same way every bit any homo surgical procedure, and the animals are upwardly and about again inside hours, and back with their group within a 24-hour interval. The encephalon harm is minor and unnoticeable in normal behaviour: the fauna interacts unremarkably with its grouping and exhibits the usual natural behaviours. In guild to find out almost how a illness affects the brain it is not necessary to induce the equivalent of full-blown disease. Indeed, the more than specific and pocket-size the brain area affected, the more than focussed and valuable the research findings are.

The primate goes dorsum to behavioural testing with the computers and differences in performance, which become apparent through these carefully designed games, are monitored.

At the end of its life the animal is humanely killed and its encephalon is studied and compared direct with the brains of deceased human patients.

Primates at Oxford involved in vaccine studies would only have a vaccination and so have monthly claret samples taken.

Housing for primates

Credit: PA Photocall

How many primates does Oxford hold?

Year	Total number of primates held (number at mid-betoken of twelvemonth)	Number of primates on procedure (equally recorded in annual Home Office returns)
2004	109	20
2005	109	22
2006	100	49
2007	99	39
2008	86	66
2009	98	49
2010	lxxx	41
2011	55	22
2012	46	29
2013	41	45
2014	38	5*
2015	50	two*
2016	52	8
2017	54	7
2018	52	10

*From 2014 the Dwelling Office inverse the manner in which animals/ procedures were counted. Figures up to and including 2013 were recorded when procedures began. Figures from 2014 are recorded when procedures end.

What's the difference between 'total held' and 'on procedure'?

Primates (macaques) at Oxford would typically spend a couple of hours a day doing behavioural work, sitting in front of a computer screen doing learning and memory games for food rewards. This is non-invasive and washed voluntarily for food rewards and does not count every bit a procedure. Afterward some fourth dimension (a flow of months) demonstrating normal learning and retentiveness through the games, a primate would accept surgery under anaesthetic to remove a very small amount of brain tissue. The primate quickly returns to behavioural testing with the computers, and differences in functioning, which become apparent through these advisedly designed puzzles, are monitored. A primate which has had this surgery is counted every bit 'on procedure'. Both stages are essential for research into understanding encephalon role which is necessary to develop treatments for conditions including Alzheimer'south, Parkinson's and schizophrenia.

Why has the overall number held gone down?

Numbers vary year on year depending on the research that is currently undertaken. In general, the University is committed to reducing, replacing and refining brute research.

You say primates account for under 0.5% of animals, and then that means y'all take at least 16,000 animals in the Biomedical Sciences Building in total - is that correct?

Numbers modify daily so we cannot give a fixed effigy, but it is in that lodge.

Aren't at that place alternative research methods?

There are very many not-creature research methods, all of which are used at the University of Oxford and many of which were pioneered here. These include research using humans; reckoner models and simulations; cell cultures and other in vitro work; statistical modelling; and large-scale epidemiology. Every research project which uses animals will besides employ other inquiry methods in addition. Wherever possible not-animal enquiry methods are used. For many projects, of course, this will mean no animals are needed at all. For others, there will be an element of the research which is essential for medical progress and for which in that location is no alternative means of getting the relevant information.

How accept humans benefited from inquiry using animals?

As the Department of Health states, research on animals has contributed to near every medical advance of the last century.

Without animal enquiry, medicine equally we know it today wouldn't exist. It has enabled us to notice treatments for cancer, antibiotics for infections (which were developed in Oxford laboratories), vaccines to prevent some of the most deadly and debilitating viruses, and surgery for injuries, illnesses and deformities.

Life expectancy in this country has increased, on boilerplate, by almost three months for every yr of the past century. Within the living memory of many people diseases such every bit polio, turberculosis, leukaemia and diphtheria killed or crippled thousands every year. But now, doctors are able to preclude or care for many more than diseases or carry out life-saving operations - all thanks to research which at some phase involved animals.

Each year, millions of people in the Uk benefit from treatments that have been adult and tested on animals. Animals have been used for the evolution of blood transfusions, insulin for diabetes, anaesthetics, anticoagulants, antibiotics, heart and lung machines for open heart surgery, hip replacement surgery, transplantation, high blood pressure medication, replacement heart valves, chemotherapy for leukaemia and life support systems for premature babies. More than 50 1000000 prescriptions are written annually for antibiotics.

We may take used animals in the by to develop medical treatments, just are they really needed in the 21st century?

Aye. While nosotros are committed to reducing, replacing and refining animal inquiry equally new techniques make it possible to reduce the number of animals needed, there is overwhelming scientific consensus worldwide that some enquiry using animals is still essential for medical progress. Information technology only forms one chemical element of a whole enquiry programme which will use a range of other techniques to find out whatever possible without animals. Animals would exist used for a specific element of the research that cannot be conducted in any alternative way.

How will humans do good in time to come?

The development of drugs and medical technologies that help to reduce suffering among humans and animals depends on the carefully regulated use of animals for inquiry. In the 21st century scientists are continuing to work on treatments for cancer, stroke, heart illness, HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases similar Alzheimer'due south and Parkinson'south, and very many more diseases that cause suffering and death. Genetically modified mice play a crucial role in future medical progress as agreement of how genes are involved in illness is constantly increasing.

Source: https://www.ox.ac.uk/news-and-events/animal-research/research-using-animals-an-overview

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