Biomedical research involving non-human animals Flashcards
Give 5 examples of organisations that use animals in biomedical research?
Universities
Medical schools
Charities
Governmental bodies eg. NHS
Commercial organisations
Give 5 reasons why animals are used in research?
Creating and breeding of genetically modified animals
basic research
regulatory testing of products
protection of natural environment
preservation of animal species
How has animal use in research allowed protection of the natural environment in 4 ways?
allowed ability to transfer embryos, eliminate parasitism, treat illnesses, and use anaesthetic advances
Allowed survival of many species
What are the 2 moral arguments that promote animal use in research?
Necessity argument
Comparable moral value argument
Describe the necessity argument of animal use in research?
In-vitro or in-silico investigations cannot replicate the function of complex living systems
Describe the comparable moral value argument of animal use in research?
Human wellbeing is paramount and it is even less morally acceptable to experiment on humans
Give 2 reasons why animal subjects are preferred to human subjects?
Human subject use involves risk of economic coercion: Only vulnerable socioeconomic groups will be selected for research in exchange for financial gain
Many people regard humans as having more moral worth than animals
What is meant by human subjects having the risk of economic coercion?
Only vulnerable socioeconomic groups will be selected for research in exchange for financial gain
Which directive of the European parliament has legislation on animal rights in research, and which boards see that this legislation is followed?
Directive 2010/63/EU
overseen in research by Animal Welfare Ethical Review Boards (AWERBS)
What are the 3 main rules in article 4 of the 2010/63/EU directive to protect animal rights?
The 3 Rs: Replacement, reduction, refinement
What is meant by the replacement rule in article 4 of the 2010/63/EU directive for animal rights, that member states must follow?
wherever possible, a scientifically satisfactory method/testing strategy, not entailing the use of live animals, shall be used instead of a procedure.
What is meant by the reduction rule in article 4 of the 2010/63/EU directive for animal rights, that member states must follow?
number of animals used in projects is reduced to a minimum without compromising the objectives of the project.
What is meant by the refinement rule in article 4 of the 2010/63/EU directive for animal rights, that member states must follow?
refinement of breeding, accommodation and care, and of methods used in procedures, eliminating or reducing to the minimum any possible pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm to the animals.
Give 2 reasons why animal subjects aren’t preferred to human subjects in research, in terms of discovering potential/new research?
Potential resulting research might not be that important
There is always risk that no new/useful research will be discovered
What is meant by possible benefit vs certain harm, when considering why animal subjects aren’t preferrable to human subjects in research?
Can’t ever be certain of the likelihood of possible benefits that will arise from research
What was discovered by Archibald and Coleman 2012 about efficacy of drugs tested in animals compared to humans?
92% of drugs shown safe and effective in animals fail in human trials
What is meant by Act certainty vs omission possibility, when considering why animal subjects aren’t preferrable to human subjects in research?
animals will surely suffer by the act, humans might suffer without the research
What was the argument of The Principles of Morals and Legislation 1789 by Jeremy Bentham, in supporting animal rights in research?
‘The question is not can they reason? Nor can they talk? But, can they suffer?’
Species membership is morally irrelevant, and that anyone who can suffer morally matters for their own sake
What was the argument of Peter Singer 1975, in supporting animal rights in research?
‘The capacity for suffering and enjoyment is a prerequisite (required prior condition) for having interests at all’
Capacity to suffer shared by both humans and animals, so they both have equal interests (other activities that have value) and therefore should have equal moral consideration
What was the argument of Deontology in supporting animal rights in research?
Never use someone as a means to an end, could argue that animal subject is ‘someone’
What was the argument of The case of animal rights by Tom Regan 1983, in supporting animal rights in research?
Animals do have rights because they are ‘‘subjects of a life,’’ just like humans, and those lives have value, whether humans recognize that value or not
Describe the research that was done in the Tuskegee Syphilis experiment (1932-1972)?
In the US, 399 African-American men with untreated syphilis were monitored
Why was the use of the human subjects in the Tuskegee Syphilis experiment (1932-1972) unethical?
Men were told by researchers that they would be receiving free medical treatment but in reality they were given placebos (didn’t give informed consent).
Therefore the men developed severe complications such as blindness, paralysis, death
Describe the research that was done with the HeLa cell line (1952-onwards)?
Henrietta Lacks’ cancer cells were grown in culture and became the first human cell line that could grow and divide endlessly in a lab (immortal).
HeLa cells still in use today to study the effects of toxins, drugs, hormones and viruses on the growth of cancer cells without human subject
