Replacing Animal Testing
The US is the only country who is late to the new types of research. Over the last 10 years, we've started to replace rodents with human cells for drug toxicity test, but the biggest problem is testing the efficiency. Mouse and human genes behave differently so the results are not accurate. However, there now is another form of testing that uses chimpanzees. A microchip is placed in a chimp and the results are accurate. Although its still not appropriate to test on animals, there are more alternatives such as replacing animals with computer models which can simulate entire systems of the human body down to a single molecule. Some animal testing may continue but many may turn to alternatives.
PETA Protecting Animals
PETA explains how animal testing isn't very accurate and are rarely relevant to humans. Studies have relatively concluded that the tests aren't accurate because of the fundamental differences between species. The animal tests don't reliably predict the human outcomes because of these differences. The testing of animals have failed to improve the health of humans and can also be dangerously misleading. By using non-animal methods to test products and conduct research, the methods are usually less time consuming and also only cost a fraction of what animal experiments cost. These methods are both effective and affordable. Researchers have developed a wide range of sophisticated computer models that simulate human biology and the progression of developing diseases. Studies show that these models can accurately predict the ways that new drugs will react in the human body and will replace the need of testing it on animals before using the product.
Humane Society of United States
The Human society has steps to fight against and find alternatives to animal testing. The steps are first is defining, second is developing, third is validating and fourth is validating. The humane society has many examples listed below to their ideas of alternatives to animal testing.
Nearly 50 different alternative methods and testing strategies have been developed, validated and/or accepted by international regulatory authorities. These are a few of the examples:
Nearly 50 different alternative methods and testing strategies have been developed, validated and/or accepted by international regulatory authorities. These are a few of the examples:
- Using blood from human volunteers to test for the presence of fever-causing contaminants in intravenous medicines can save hundreds of thousands of rabbits each year from traditional "pyrogen" tests.
- EpiSkin™, EpiDerm™ and SkinEthic—each composed of artificial human skin—can save thousands of rabbits each year from painful skin corrosion and irritation tests.
- The Bovine Corneal Opacity and Permeability Test and Isolated Chicken Eye Test use eyes from animals slaughtered for the meat industry instead of live rabbits to detect chemicals and products that are severely irritating to the eyes.
- The 3T3 Neutral Red Uptake Phototoxicity Test can replace the use of mice and other animals in the testing of medicines and other products for their potential to cause sunlight induced "photo-toxicity."
- The Reduced Local Lymph Node Assay for skin allergy testing makes it possible to reduce animal use by up to 75 percent compared with traditional guinea pig and mouse tests.
- When testing to determine chemical concentrations that are deadly to fish and other aquatic life, use of the Fish Threshold Method can reduce the numbers of fish used by at least 70 percent compared with standard test methods.
Accelerating Rates of New Technology May Reduce the Amount of Animal Testing
With the accelerating rate of advances, it is possible that by 2050, researchers and scientists will be able to answer questions about human health without using animal testing. The NAS had also released a report in 2007 which had envisioned a future where animal testing would disappear from toxicity programs. The alternatives to animals testing should increase which would mean cruel testing will decrease. The movement away from animal experimentation has been decreasing already. Since the mid-seventies, the use of animals in experiments has fallen by about 50 percent. The overall decline in animal use in testing can improve the use of more sophisticated model systems and eventually cruel animal testing will be gone.
New Artificial Skin to Replace Animals?
Scientist have found a new technique that can be produced to decrease the use of animal testing. This new technology is making artificial skin which can be produced rapidly. It will produce skin, cartilage and other body parts in large quantities. The result of the product will help burn victims and be used for chemical testing which would avoid using it on animals.