The Ethics Of Using Animals in Research
Background and Module
Content
The scientific rationale underlying the use of animals in
biomedical research is that a living organism provides an
interactive, dynamic system that can be observed and
manipulated experimentally in order to investigate mechanisms
of normal function and of disease. As a result, a greater
understanding of living systems can be attained and this
knowledge can be generalized to other species including
humans, facilitating the development of effective therapies.
One particular use of animals in research is in the
development and use of animal models of particular human
physiological functions (e.g., immune response,
cardiovascular function, vision) and diseases. These are
commonly used in all areas of biomedical research and have
contributed significantly to medical progress. Yet while the
use of nonhuman animal models is a common component of
biomedical research, the role of animal models in research,
and its scientific and
ethical justification, are frequently not addressed in
the education and training of junior researchers.
Students need experience in identifying and thinking
through the development of an animal model and the extent to
which it can be generalized. In addition, the Institutional Animal
Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approval is required for
research and teaching that involves animals. Thus,
researchers and instructors need to understand the purpose
and function of IACUC.
At the same time, scientific research is funded and
conducted under the auspices of society as a whole. Both
those who use animals in research or teaching and those who
do not are members of society and need to understand the
scientific and ethical justification for, criteria for, and
limits of the use of nonhuman animals in research and
teaching, as well as the range of societal views and concerns
regarding the use of animals.
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Method and
Scenarios
- Presentation and discussion of scientific and ethical
issues in the use of animals in research.
- Participants read federal and institutional
regulations and other guidelines regarding the care and
use of animals in research, their primary goals, and the
structure and functions of IACUCs.
- Distribution of scenarios developed as protocols for
IACUC review to the students and faculty.
-
- Panel discussion based on those scenarios and questions
and any others that students or faculty wish to add.
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Readings (recommended for
discussion of scenarios)
- Explanation of Federal
Regulations covering research with animals.
- Links to these regulations are listed in the resources
section below.
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Objectives
This Module will Provide:
- a framework for understanding the ethical pros and cons
for the use of nonhuman animals in research and
teaching.
- information about resources and regulations regarding
the care and use of nonhuman animals.
- theoretical underpinnings and practical experience with
regard to the purpose and function of IACUC.
- experience in thinking through the issues they relate
to cases drawn from biomedical engineering.
Participants who do or will use animals in research or
teaching will:
- understand and explain the validity of the animal
model.
- be familiar with the regulations, conventions, and
accepted practices regarding the use of animals in
research.
- understand the range of societal views and ethical
concerns regarding the use of animals in research.
- be able to identify and articulate his or her own
scientific and ethical views regarding the use of animals
in research.
- understand the elements of the research protocol that
serve as the basis for committee members' decisions
regarding acceptability and be able to complete an IACUC
protocol form so as to adequately convey the rationale and
methodology of the research for IACUC review.
- learn the rudiments of serving on a committee that
requires critical thinking and moral reasoning (e.g.,
IACUC, Institutional Review Board for human subjects
research, Project Review Committee).
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Bibliography
(for further reading)
"Animal Experiments: Where do you Draw the Line?",
New Scientist, May 22, 1999. A recent sampling
of the opinions of British adults on the use of animals in
research.
Donnelley, Strachan and Nolan, Kathleen. "Animals,
Science, and Ethics." Hastings Center Report, special
supplement. May/June: 1-32; 1990.
Dresser, Rebecca. "Standards for Animal Research: Looking
at the Middle." Journal of Medicine and
Philosophy. L3: 123-143; 1988.
NIH Animal Advisory Committee. Using Animals in
Intramural Research: Guidelines for Investigators and
Guidelines for Animal Users. (NIH Office of Animal
Care and Use, 2000). A written course and handbook for
principal investigators and animal users containing current
practices, policies, and laws that affect the use of research
animals.
For further reading please see the additional Annotated
Bibliography
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Relevant Web
Sources
- Animal Welfare Act.
- This law authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to
regulate the transport, sale, and handling of various
non-human animals intended for research or "other
purposes". This law has implications for institutions
involved with biomedical research. On this site there is a
link to common questions and answers about this act and its
regulations for biomedical research institutions. The most
recent addition to this act, the "Improved Standards for
Laboratory Animals," clarifies what is meant by humane
care. It also specifies that pain and distress of animals
be minimized and that animals be provided with an adequate
physical environment to enhance their psychological well
being.
- Animal Welfare Regulations.
- Title 9 of the federal regulations includes information
on registering research facilities, appointing an
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (see section
2.31), hiring an attending veterinarian (section 2.33),
record-keeping requirements, the requirement to prepare and
submit an annual report, and requirements for training
personnel of the research facility (section 2.32).
- 1993 Report of the AVMA (American
Veterinary Medical Association) Panel on
Euthanasia.
- This report gives information on the euthanasia of
animals in research. Its purpose is to give professional
guidance for relieving pain and suffering of animals to be
euthanized. Researchers should consult this document when
designing research protocols.
- Institutional Animal Care and Use
Committee Guidebook.
- Prepared by ARENA (Applied Research Ethics National
Association) and NIH (National Institutes of Health), this
is a guidebook meant to help institutions comply with the
federal requirement that all research facilities doing
animal research institute an Animal Care and Use
Committee.
- The seventh edition of the Guide for the
Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.
- This document discusses appropriate handling and care
of traditional and nontraditional animals and contains
discussion of some federal regulations.
- A Web Tutorial
- The Public Health Service policy on Humane Care and Use
of Laboratory Animals.
- The American Physiological Society
- Provides its own answers to frequently asked questions
about animal research, such as "Why are cosmetics tested on
animals?", "How are research animals protected?" and "Are
there alternatives to doing research with animals?" The
site also includes a case study regarding polio.
- Public Health Service
- The PHS statement on "The Importance of Animals in
Biomedical and Behavioral Research."
- Federation of American Societies for
Experimental Biology
- This site has public policy statements on the use of
animals in research and education.
- Care and Use of Animals in
Research
- As presented in the American Psychological Association
Ethics Code.
- Information Resources for Adjuvants and
Antibody Production: Comparisons and Alternative
Technologies: 1990-1997.
- Prepared by the U. S. Department of Agriculture,
Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural
Library, and Animal Welfare Information Center, this
website contains a bibliography of published articles and
guidelines about the use of animals in research.
- American
Association for Laboratory Animal
- Professional Society website with extensive links for
education.
- Science
Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory
Animal Care International
- Includes links on how to develop alternative research
methods rather than using animals, in addition to other
important information.
Cite this page:
"The Ethics Of Using Animals in Research"
Online Ethics Center for Engineering
8/17/2006
National Academy of Engineering
Accessed: Friday, March 12, 2010
<www.onlineethics.org/Resources/TeachingTools/20357/19237/animalres.aspx>