ANIMALS IN RESEARCH

REPORTED BY:
GILLEEN MEGAN BUNGA, RN
SHELDY PERALTA, RN
 u USING ANIMALS IN RESEARCH
u HISTORIAL OVERVIEW
u WHY USE ANIMALS?
u EXAMPLES OF HOW ANIMALS ARE USED IN RESEARCH
PRESENTATION u CURRENT USE OF ANIMALS IN RESEARCH

DETAILS u OPPOSING POSITIONS ON ANIMAL RESEARCH

§ Advocates
§ Opponents
u REDUCING THE IMPACT OF ANIMAL RESEARCH
u JUSTIFICATION OF THE USE OF ANIMALS IN RESEARCH
 USING ANIMALS IN RESEARCH
Important Considerations:
u Animal research has allowed the development of medicines
and vaccines, surgical techniques and advanced scientific
understanding in many areas.
u In UK and Europe, the use of animals to test cometic products
is illegal.
u It is legally required to test a new treatment on two mammal
species before they are tested on humans.
u Between 50 and 100 million animals are used in research
each year.
u Some animals used for research are purpose bred for testing
but many are still caught in the wild.

Understanding Animal Research, 2024

 IVAN PAVLOV is
ARISTOTLE and
one of the most
ERASISTRATUS
famous
were the first to
scientists who
use living
used animals in
animals in
research in the
research.
late 1800s.
HISTORIAL
The first animal The oppositions
OVERVIEW
protection law to the use of
was proposed animals in
in the British research date
Parliament back to the 17th
(1822). century.

Hajar, 2011
 WHY USE ANIMALS?

Researchers need to understand how diseases affect the body.

Living systems must be used, but it can involve research that
would not be ethical to carry out on humans.

Animals are biologically very similar to humans. Mice share

more than 98% DNA with humans.

Animals are susceptible to many of the same health problems

as humans like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc.
EXAMPLES OF
HOW ANIMALS
ARE USED IN
RESEARCH
 50% - Breeding genetically modified
animals

27% - Understanding the body in health

CURRENT and illness

USE OF
13% - Safety testing of medicines
ANIMALS IN
RESEARCH 9% - Research and development for
medicines

0.5% - Other (environmental protection

and species preservation)

Understanding Animal Research, 2024

 ADVOCATES:
u Human life has greater intrinsic value than
animal life.
u Human benefits are gained, and no other
methods can be used for the same
OPPOSING benefit.
POSITIONS ON u Legislation protects all lab animals from
cruelty or mistreatment.
ANIMAL u Millions of animals are killed every year for
RESEARCH food, and medical research is a more
worthy death for them.
u Few animals feel pain and they are killed
before they suffer.
u Animal research can be acceptable if
suffering is minimized.
Giridharan et al., 2000
 OPPONENTS:
u Animals have as much right to live as
humans.
u Despite controls, animal abuse have not
been prevented, though such instances
OPPOSING are rare.
POSITIONS ON u Deaths for research are unnecessary.
Animals suffer while they are locked up
ANIMAL u
and humans do not know when they do
RESEARCH and don’t feel pain.
u The benefits to human beings are not
proven.
u There are other ways possible to provide
the same benefits that animal research
provide to humans.
Giridharan et al., 2000
 REDUCING THE IMPACT OF ANIMAL RESEARCH

REPLACEMENT
REFINEMENT
- Replacing “higher
animals” with “lower REDUCTION
- Refining experimental
animals” like using
protocols to minimize

3R
microorganisms, plants, - Minimizing the number
pain or distress and
eggs, reptiles, of animals used for the
making plans for
amphibians, and experiment by improving
relieving it.
invertebrates instead experimental techniques,
- Using proper animal
of warm-blooded data analysis techniques,
Principle animals. and sharing of
handling techniques
and receiving
- Alternative information between
adequate training prior
techniques like cell researchers.
to research to prevent
cultures, computer
pain.
models, and in vitro
modeling

Diaz et al., 2021

APPLYING THE 3R PRINCIPLES

EXAMPLE:
u If an experimental intervention may produce different
clinical signs like decreased body temperature or
decreased heart rate, and if such symptoms are known to
lead to specific outcome such as death, the animals
should be killed before these signs can prolong so as to
reduce their suffering.
 HUMANE KILLING TO REDUCE SUFFERING

SCHEDULE 1 to the ANIMALS (SCIENTIFIC PRODEDURES) ACT 1986 in UK

u The researcher must ensure that the animal is killed in a competent and humane
way to prevent further suffering.
u These are appropriate methods that can be used:
§ Anaesthetic overdose
§ Exposure to carbon dioxide gas
§ Dislocation of the neck
§ Concussion followed by the destruction of the brain
§ Destruction of the brain by a free bullet (for hoofed animals only)

Other methods not mentioned require additional licenses to perform.

Understanding Animal Research, 2024
 The research should have a clear scientific purpose.

The scientific purpose should be significant enough

JUSTIFICATION to justify the use of animals.

OF THE USE OF The researcher should have looked at the appropriate literature
and considered nonanimal alternatives prior to the research,

ANIMALS IN and the chosen animal should suit best the question proposed.

RESEARCH The research should not be conducted until the

protocol has been approved by the appropriate
animal care committee in the region

The researcher should monitor the subjects’ welfare

throughout the course of the research.

Dunbar et al., 2012

 u The Animal Welfare Act of 1998 is a
significant law in the Philippines that
aims to protect the welfare of animals.
It prohibits acts of cruelty towards
ANIMAL WELFARE animals, such as maltreatment, torture,
killing, and neglect. The law also
ACT OF 1998 (PH) regulates the sale, transport, and
handling of animals to ensure their
welfare. Violators of this law may face
penalties, including fines and
imprisonment.
 RESOURCES

u Díaz, L., Zambrano, E., Flores, M. E., Contreras, M., Crispín, J. C., Alemán, G., ... & Bobadilla, N. A. (2021).
Ethical considerations in animal research: the principle of 3R's. Revista de investigacion clinica, 73(4), 199-
209.
u Dunbar, G., Higa, J., Jones, T., Kaminski, B., & Panicker, S. (2012). Guidelines for ethical conduct in the
care and use of nonhuman animals in research. American Psychological Association Committee on
Animal Rights Research and Ethics 2010-2011, 1-9.
u Giridharan, N. V., Kumar, V., & Muthuswamy, V. (2000). Use of animals in scientific research. Indian Counc
Med Res, 1-27.
u Hajar R. (2011). Animal testing and medicine. Heart views : the official journal of the Gulf Heart
Association, 12(1), 42. https://doi.org/10.4103/1995-705X.81548
u Understanding Animal Research. (2024). Why Are Animals Used In Research?. Retrieved from:
https://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/application/files/5916/5226/6815/Why_are_animals_us
ed_in_scientific_research.pdf
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