Animal testing for medical research is considered one of the most controversial issues that undermine the sustainable and ethical development of the science. There is a lot of evidence that proves that the procedure of animal testing cannot be substituted. Although many people consider it violent and inhumane, animal testing for medical research should be kept for several major reasons, since animals are close to humans in biologicals sense, thus helping researchers determine effective treatment and drugs, contributing to the evaluation of the safety of these medications and bringing benefits to the science and human health.
The first argument is related to the usefulness of animals since they help researchers find treatment and drugs. According to Animal Research Info (2018), the involvement of animals helps scientists advance in their understanding of the treatment that can be later applied to humans. Animal testing is beneficial since the researchers use animals as models to study diseases, and it is better than using humans. Also, scientists can develop and test potential forms of treatment without testing the medications on people and thus ensuring their safety.
Secondly, animal testing is needed because it contributes to the safety of treatment and drugs designed by scientists. According to Murnaghan (2018), animals can be used for testing cancer and HIV drugs, insulin, antibiotics, and vaccines. It is crucial that animal testing remains active since it is vital for the enhancement of human health. This procedure develops the medicine massively since animals can be used for testing the safety of drugs and many other substances humans use, like Panadol or cough pills.
The third point is related to the positive contribution of animal testing to human health. For instance, the Foundation for Biomedical Research (2018) implies that the use of cows in research made it possible to create the world’s first vaccine that successfully eradicated smallpox. Now humanity is not afraid of this disease anymore. Another example is the polio vaccine which was created due to the involvement of monkeys, dogs, and mice in medical research. Even diseases such as flu or cold could be dangerous for humans if the animals had not been used in scientific research, and therefore, now people enjoy the positive context of their health. Although many representatives of the animal rights movements’ claim that testing treatment and drugs on animals is barbarous and unethical, while the large community defines it as the really outdated procedure, it is clear that the evidence presented above proves that animal testing for medical research is still needed.
Also, it is crucial to mention that animals are close to humans in the biological sense. Scientific American (2018) notes that different types of monkeys such as chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans are Hominidae, as well as humans. People and gorillas have mostly the same genetics, while the genes of humans and chimpanzees are 99% identical. This factor is essential for the research since animals can serve as the biological models for testing the medicines designed for humans.
All things considered, it is hard to deny that animal testing for medical research is the issue that faces many conflicts. While the animal rights advocates imply that it must be canceled because of violent and brutal treatment of the animals, the scientists have the opposite view regarding this matter. The current investigations in the field of biology and health prove that animal testing is crucial since it ensures the effective design of the components of the medical treatment created for people. Since animals are biologically close to humans, they are the most compatible to the medications designed for people, and thus they can serve as the suitable material in the process of testing of the effectiveness of treatments and drugs, being an aid in terms of assessment of their safety. Therefore, animals are the necessary component of the development of medical science and they largely contribute to the improvement of human health.
- Animal Research Info. Why Animals are Used. Animal Research Info. http://www.animalresearch.info/en/designing-research/why-animals-are-used/. Accessed November 20, 2018.
- Foundation for Biomedical Research. Animal Testing and Research Achievements. Foundation for Biomedical Research. https://fbresearch.org/medical-advances/animal-testing-research-achievements/. Accessed November 20, 2018.
- Murnaghan, Ian. Using Animals for Testing: Pros Versus Cons. About Animal Testing. http://www.aboutanimaltesting.co.uk/using-animals-testing-pros-versus-cons.html. Accessed November 20, 2018.
- Scientific American. How closely related are humans to apes and other animals? How do scientists measure that? Are humans related to plants at all? Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-closely-related-are-h/. Accessed November 20, 2018.
