Why we support medical research that uses animals
The CGD Research Trust strongly supports animal research because it has helped improve and save lives. CGD is a rare inherited disorder of the immune system caused by a faulty marrow gene. The condition is life threatening, painful, debilitating and the affected person often has to spend long periods of time in hospital. Many medical advances for CGD over the last fifteen years have been made possible by using animal models that mimic this disorder, bringing us so much nearer to a cure.
How does medical research using animals benefit people?
Research using animals has been fundamental to a vast range of advances in understanding how the body works in health and disease, and to the search for ways to prevent and treat illness.
If you have a headache, you take paracetamol. But did you know we wouldn’t have painkillers without animal testing? Or vaccinations when we go abroad on holiday? Or any of the medicines we take for granted for minor ailments. That is before we start thinking about conditions like asthma, diabetes, heart problems and cancer.
Why is research involving animals needed to study CGD.
Pioneering gene therapy research, where the defective gene is replaced by a healthy working copy, has now reached the clinic and helped a number of people with CGD live longer and healthier lives. This could not have been possible without the use of animals. We now need to continue this work to make gene therapy work even better so that more affected people can benefit.
Does the public support the use of animals in medical research?
Yes. In 2005 a MORI poll of the general public found that three quarters (76%) of us accept medical research using animals.
Statements from people affected by CGD
“I need to take special anti-fungal drugs and antibiotics every day so that I don’t become seriously ill due to infections. Without testing these drugs in animals they would never have been developed”.
“I can’t find a suitable bone marrow so treatment by gene therapy offers real hope. Scientists need to test how well this works and how safe it is in animals that reflect human CGD. This is needed by law. Who can deny me this chance of having a healthier life?”
“I really hope one-day to benefit from gene therapy. Without using animals to test out this new medical treatment this will not be possible.”
Is there an alternative?
Scientists only use animals in research when there is no alternative – this is the law. The CGD Research Trust aims to fund research that generates the best results for patients, and this may mean using animals. The Trust would like to see research progress without using animals, but believes that such work has been and still is, at times, the best way forward.
Did you know?
- Insulin for diabetes, the polio vaccine, coronary surgery, antibiotics, cholesterol-lowering drugs have been made possible by animal testing.
- The law says that if there is an alternative to using animals in research then it has to be used.
- The regulations governing all animal research in the UK are widely regarded as the strictest in the world and ensure that all animal research is done as humanely as possible.
- All research in this country is carried out with a commitment to the three R’s (Reduction, Refinement, Replacement), which means using the minimum number of animals, with the highest animal welfare, and always using non-animal techniques where possible.
IMPORTANT NOTE :
The information contained on this website is intended only as a guideline, not as a substitute for medical advice. Always consult your doctor if you or your child has any CGD symptoms or concerns.
© 2001-2007 The Chronic Granulomatous Disorder (CGD) Research Trust
Registered Charity No. 1003425 email:cgd@cgdrt.co.uk
The CGD Research Trust is a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC), the Genetic Interest Group (GiG) and an associate member of the International Patient Organisation of Primary Immunodeficiencies (IPOPI)
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