the Oxford Scientist
The Controversial World of
Animals in Research A
nimal experimentation is one of the novative and life-saving science’. Animal research greatest ethical dilemmas facing modern has played a pivotal role in developing drugs that science. While animal research leads to have saved millions of lives. Animals give us the
life-saving
treatments,
to
anti-vivisectionists capacity for gene editing, exploring brain activity,
(people who oppose the use of animals in scientific and manipulating complex biological systems, all research) the practice is cruel and barbaric, regard‐ of which are ethically dubious in humans. Invari‐ less of its potential benefit to human health. But ably, some people do experience adverse effects what are the issues with animal research, and what when they take drugs tested on animals, but all is currently being done to overcome them?
prescribed substances have also been deemed safe
For years, Oxford University has been under in extensive clinical trials. Animal experimentation fire for using animals in medical research. Oxford therefore forms only part of the research frame‐ has one of the largest biomedical research centres work that integrates in vitro work, studies in hu‐ in Europe and undertakes the greatest number of mans, and epidemiological evidence. scientific procedures on animals annually. Natur‐
But animal research is not perfect, and there
ally, it is a hub of fierce anti-vivisectionist activity. are major issues translating findings into successful In the mid-2000s, protests led to violence over the clinical trials. This is partly due to the intrinsic construction of the Biomedical Sciences Building physiological differences between laboratory an‐ — a state-of-the-art research facility to rehouse imals and humans, as well as the experimental con‐ laboratory animals from around Oxford. There ditions under which drugs are trialled. Despite were arson attacks and bomb threats, and research‐ these differences, even fruit flies and nematode ers were even followed to their homes. Con‐ worms can be useful, due to biochemical pathways sequently, the University took out an injunction highly conserved throughout evolution. against specific animal rights groups to protect staff and researchers.
While claims of mistreatment are a mainstay of anti-vivisectionist campaigns, rigorous regulat‐
But opposition to the use of animals remains. ory systems govern animal research in the UK. In April 2019, a 400-strong protest marking the The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act of 1986 40th anniversary of the World Day for Animals in regulates experiments conducted on animals, in‐ Laboratories called for an end to animal research in cluding a cost-benefit analysis on whether the po‐ Oxford. Protestors claimed that ‘50 percent of an‐ tential benefit to human health outweighs the imal experiments in UK universities are for curios‐ suffering caused. In fact, the UK goes above and ity's sake’, with a devastating 70,000 people killed beyond the EU laws on animal research, with Ox‐ or disabled by animal-tested drugs in England each ford’s ‘gold standard’ policy on welfare exceeding year. Moreover, animal rights activist Peter Egan both national and international guidelines. stated, ‘90 percent of all tests on animals as models for human diseases fail’. These statistics appear damning for the use of animal experimentation in science.
C
T
he other guiding principle of animal research is the 3 R’s – the replacement of animals by
using different experimental models, the reduction of the number of procedures undertaken on anim‐
ontrarily, Oxford describes its animal re‐ als by utilising better experimental design, and re‐ search programmes as at the ‘forefront of in‐ finement of procedures on animals to minimise
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