#Animal and research The disconnect

The biggest disconnect between researchers and the general public is not why there is research but how.
The public doesn't know what exactly it is that research does and even less how it goes about doing so. It is true that some will do the effort of understanding or at least trying to but for a vast majority it is just not going to happen overnight, more needs to be done.

http://eara.eu/en/campaigns/statement-supporting-european-directive/

When scientists do take the time to explain then they are branded as being biased or as being in favor of research because their livelihood depend on it. In other words damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Lately however there is a welcome wind of change blowing over the research community. It is called transparency and this change is so important because it provides the opportunity to set the record straight. There are however some drawbacks with this approach. It takes multiple tolls on your resources in terms of $€£¥ and time. Whatever you explained yesterday will have to be again today and tomorrow, so be prepared.

What can you prepare for?

Prepare to face the non choice of using rodents or anything else but non human primates as animal model in research! Even in neurosciences. Take a cold look at how some were forced to leave the field and how defence came about way beyond when damage had already been done.

Certainly explaining the difference between basic research where outcomes are not known beforehand and applied research where outcomes are expected beforehand. If it is understood that we are to fund space exploration but we do not know what we might discover other than  by the simple fact of going there and learning, than the same logic applies to research. Again it is the how that matters and if you do not pay attention to explaining the how you will end up in a position where you can only research if and only if a certain outcome can be reached.
An example of this situation is the use of chimpanzees in research. It doesn't matter how very few are being used nor what discoveries in time have been achieved, this particular animal model will no longer be used in research for that door is now locked. A first step towards ending the use of non human primates in research. This door could have been kept open but by narrowing
entrance to its extreme a shut door situation has effectively been achieved.

If you are a policy maker or drafting regulations I ask that you look for similar situations because I guarantee you that similar strategies will be used by those opposing animal use.
How do I know? Simple I have seen it being used as a tactic to increase unwarranted space requirements in aviation at the EC level, in order to make the activity commercially unattractive.

For those of you in research beware of your toolbox for it too can be used against your best intentions, goals and aims. Get ready, those who suffer and are anxiously waiting for treatments , cures and medical progress expect no less from you! Thank you.

Not 4 the faint of heart!

Let me guess who would you rather see live?

Will you tell those that have an affliction that their lives equal those of a laboratory animal?

Will you tell those that are paraplegic that animal research has to stop because you are against animal use?

Will you tell the millions of people that are waiting for cures, treatments or life saving drugs that their condition is secondary to the fate of the animals that will be used in research?

Or will you listen to Professor Robin Lovell Badge whom says in this excellent article that when it comes to animal research nine out of ten statistics used by those opposing animal use are taken out of context?

When there is animal research towards finding cures or treatments, making sure that the intended drugs or treatments are safe for use in humans is a necessary step that requires animal testing. It would not be wise to go straight into human testing therefore assurances (toxicity levels etc) need to be obtained, measured and analyzed through animal research. This precautionary principle benefits mankind everywhere where it is applied and enshrined into laws. This has nothing to do with sentiency nor cruelty but everything to do with common sense and a high sense of civic duty and care.

Perhaps you may want to listen to Amanda Wainright, a young girl whom has signed the petition in support of medical progress through science and animals research. Here is what she has to say:

This is important to me because I, myself, am a paraplegic! I've been chair bound since 11.11.07, we need a cure! This is something I not only hope for myself, but for every person, (young , old, big, or small) that suffers through life with a impairment of any sort, that to date has no cure! WE ALL NEED A CURE, please sign this petition and support finding that cure that we all are so desperately waiting for! Thank you all in advance! It means the world to us! God bless you all for giving your time to read this! :)

And if you want to study and become a Doctor in Veterinary Medicine, read this guest post by Kelly Walton whom has some very constructive comments about animal research and how it benefits humans and animals.

Likewise I would kindly suggest you ask yourself what will happen with this valuable research as chimps are on the verge of disappearing as an animal model ? Animal cruelty or political correctness? Those millions of people that are waiting for cures will again be the silent victims of these great Victories...

Talking of Chimps and hearing of Gerbils!

There is a lot of very useful information to be found via the internet. Of course it depends on where you look for your information.

Back in 2011, comments were filed by FASEB to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service about a petition to list all chimpanzees (captive, US based) as endangered.

I do not intend on arguing here about the status of Pan Troglodytes as being endangered or not, but I do want to show you some of the arguments put forward in the document as to what chimps are used for in research.

Note that according to FASEB at the time of writing there is a breeding moratorium in effect for chimpanzees owned by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Currently, less than a thousand chimpanzees remain in NIH facilities in the U.S., and the number of animals available for research is decreasing by about 3% each year.

If you or a relative happens to suffer from or are afflicted by the below diseases or viruses, you may just want to DO THE RIGHT THING and voice your support towards animal research and that includes those of us that care about wild ape populations too!

FASEB feels that the status of captive chimpanzees should not be changed because this would both eliminate the important research needed to advance the public’s health and severely hamper research that is critical to the conservation of wild great ape populations.
Research involving chimpanzees has been and continues to be important for biomedical and behavioral research that will advance the public’s health. Because chimpanzees are the only animals susceptible to many diseases that afflict humans and share many of the same physiological characteristics, they have been crucial in the study of hepatitis, in the development and safety testing of monoclonal antibody therapies, in investigating other pathogens such as malaria, in the development of bioterrorism countermeasures, and in contributing to the conservation of wild great ape populations. This document will discuss some of the past, present and future needs for chimpanzees in research; identify some of the inaccuracies within the petition to reclassify captive chimpanzees; and provide information about the current status of the United States (U.S.) research chimpanzee population.
Hepatitis
Chimpanzees are the only animals other than humans susceptible to all five hepatitis viruses: A, B, C, D, and E [1]. It is well-documented that research on chimps led to the development of diagnostic tests for hepatitis A, B, and C and vaccines for both A and B [2-4]. Because of these diagnostic tests, the spread of these diseases through blood transfusion has virtually been eliminated. Due to the development of vaccines, hepatitis B is now nearly unknown in children born in the U.S., and hepatitis A rates in the U.S. have declined by 92% since the vaccine was introduced in 1995 [5, 6]. A 1997 National
Academy of Sciences report underscored the importance of the chimpanzee in the development of a vaccine for hepatitis B, concluding that they provided a source of virus and viral antigens and made it possible to evaluate the safety and the effectiveness of candidate vaccines [7].
Current work with chimpanzees continues to teach us a great deal about the immediate antiviral immune responses following hepatitis C infection [8]. These events can be studied in a way that is not possible in acutely infected humans, since human subjects remain asymptomatic directly following exposure to the virus. In addition, some chimpanzees that were infected with the B and C virus 30 years or more ago have developed cirrhosis and liver cancer similar to that seen in chronically infected humans [personal communication, Robert Purcell]. This underscores the importance of chimpanzees in the study of chronic hepatitis C.
One of the most important breakthroughs in finding a cure for hepatitis C has been the development of new antiviral therapies. Almost 200 million people suffer from chronic hepatitis C infection and are at risk for liver failure and liver cancer [9]. Many of the drugs currently in human clinical trials were tested in chimpanzees for safety and efficacy prior to their use in humans [personal communication, Robert Lanford]. The long awaited therapeutic validation of antisense technology came from a novel therapy for hepatitis C first tested in chimpanzees [personal communication, Robert Lanford]. Antisense technology is a therapy that inactivates genes responsible for disease. This same technology can now be applied to many other diseases, including cancer. Despite these successes, a vaccine to combat hepatitis C has yet to be developed, in part due to the complex nature of this particular virus and the large number of strains presents in different regions of the globe.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 17,000 Americans are newly infected with the hepatitis C virus each year [9], and liver cancer due to chronic hepatitis C infection is now the most rapidly increasing cause of cancer death in the U.S. Current predictions suggest that the incidence of liver cancer (due primarily to chronic hepatitis C infection) will increase by four-fold over the next 10-20 years. A 2010 Institute of Medicine report on hepatitis and liver cancer concluded that studies to develop a vaccine to prevent chronic hepatitis C virus infections should continue [10]. Chimpanzee research will be essential in moving this work forward.
Monoclonal Antibodies 

Chimpanzees are of great importance in developing and testing monoclonal antibody therapies for autoimmune diseases and cancers such as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma because their receptors and their cytokine profiles are virtually identical to humans [11-19]. These similarities make chimpanzees especially important for testing the safety of monoclonal antibodies [17].
The importance of this can perhaps best be underscored in the case of the TGN1412 monoclonal antibody [20]. This is a targeted humanized monoclonal antibody that was developed in Germany to treat multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and certain cancers. However, it nearly killed six men who voluntarily took the therapy during a 2006 Phase I clinical trial in the United Kingdom. Administration of the antibody evoked a cytokine storm that caused multi-organ failure in all six participants. This occurred despite the fact that the company and the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency deemed the product safe for human trials after testing in both rabbits and monkeys produced no harmful effects. However, it was not tested in the chimpanzee. Had the chimpanzee model been used, this life-threatening outcome might have been averted since the chimp and human immune systems are extremely similar [17, 21].

Other diseases
The scientific justification for the continued use of chimps is not limited to their value in hepatitis research and monoclonal antibody development. Despite the small number of publications on chimpanzees (0.25% of research utilizing animals), they are crucial in understanding disease progression, analyzing genetic similarities between chimps and humans, developing pharmaceutics, testing the safety and efficacy of pharmaceuticals, and understanding behavior (Figure 1). Chimpanzees have been and continue to be essential in studying the diseases listed below.

Malaria
Malaria is a parasitic infection that affects an estimated 190-311 million people a year with 700,000-1,000,000 deaths. Chimpanzees have been important for the development of in vitro assays for drug development [22], phylogenetic analyses [23], and vaccine development [24, 25].

Norovirus
Chimpanzees have been shown to be an excellent model for the study of and vaccine development for noroviruses [26]. Noroviruses are the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in humans.

Poliovirus
Chimpanzees were instrumental in the study of and vaccine development for poliovirus [27-29]. Since development of the vaccine, polio has nearly been eradicated in humans.

Respiratory syncitial virus
Due to their genetic similarity to humans, chimpanzees have been and continue to be a useful mode for the study of respiratory syncitial virus (RSV) and vaccine development [30, 31]. RSV is a common respiratory virus that can cause severe and sometimes fatal infections in infants and the elderly.

Cytomegalovirus
The chimpanzee has the closest cytomegalovirus (CMV) variant to the human, thus making it an important animal model [32, 33]. Human CMV is the most significant viral cause of birth defects in industrialized nations and produces high morbidity and mortality rates in immunocompromised individuals.

Dengue fever
Due to changes in the earth’s climate, dengue fever, which was primarily restricted to tropical and subtropical regions, is now expanding into regions within the U.S. Between 2000 and 2007, reported cases of dengue fever within the U.S. have tripled, and there is currently no vaccine available to prevent it or therapy to treat it. Chimpanzees infected with the dengue virus develop high concentrations of neutralizing anti-viral antibodies [34], and since chimpanzee immunoglobulins are close to 98% homologous to those of humans [19], they make a good source of monoclonal antibodies [35] that could potentially be used to treat the disease.

Bioterrorism countermeasures
Research involving chimpanzees could also be vital for the development of countermeasures against bioterrorism attacks. An October 2011 "Bio-Response Report Card" by the bipartisan Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism Research Center indicated that the U. S. is unprepared to respond to a global outbreak of a deadly virus for which we have no medical countermeasures [36]. The U.S. was given an F (fails to meet expectations) on medical countermeasure development and production for a global, contagious biological event. In an emergency, rapid access to a research population of chimpanzees could be needed in order to quickly develop and test prophylactic and therapeutic strategies against these dangerous agents to ensure the safety of our population.
The use of chimpanzees in biosecurity preparedness is evident in two recent publications. Chen and colleagues at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease used chimpanzees to develop neutralizing antibodies against the vaccinia virus (smallpox) [37, 38]. These chimpanzee studies were important because they provided a mechanism to create immediate passive immunity should we be attacked using smallpox as a biological weapon.

Research for wild ape populations
Chimpanzees are susceptible to many of the same pathogens as humans, including the common cold, pneumonia, poliomyelitis, tuberculosis, chicken pox, respiratory disease, and influenza among others. As such, they are useful models to study the pathogenesis of the diseases and potential therapeutics. Moreover, due to increased ecotourism in Africa, the likelihood of humans transmitting diseases to the wild ape populations is escalating [39]. Continued biomedical research will not only benefit humans but also conservation efforts to sustain the great ape population.

Ebola
In February 2011, researchers at the New Iberia Research Center in Louisiana began a safety study on chimpanzees in order to test an Ebola vaccine for wild gorillas and chimpanzees [40]. The researchers inoculated six chimpanzees and were able to establish that the Ebola vaccine elicits a strong immune response. The urgency of these studies is highlighted by the fact that Ebola is ravaging the great ape population in the wild and has killed about one-third of all gorillas [41-43]. The first controlled vaccine trial on wild apes began in April 2011 [44].

Heart disease
Heart disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the human and chimpanzee population. Sudden cardiac death has been shown to be the predominant cause of death in captive chimpanzee populations [45, 46]. Lammey and colleagues have implanted electrocardiogram recorder to investigate and diagnose cardiac arrhythmias in unanesthetized chimpanzees and have identified biomarkers to detect cardiovascular and renal disease in chimpanzees [45, 47].

Immunodeficiency viruses
Until recently, it was thought that SIVcpz, the immediate precursor to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), was not pathogenic (i.e., did not cause death) in chimpanzees. Of late, however, it has been demonstrated that wild chimpanzee populations have been dying as a result of infection with this virus [48-50]. Previous research using the chimpanzee as a model for HIV may be beneficial in understanding the pathogenesis of SIVcpz and developing therapeutics.

To read the text in full and find the references follow this link.

Of course if you do not believe animal research leads to medical advancement for humans and or other animal species, the following may not be of interest to you either.
However for those of us to whom it does matter please do take a look at how stem cells are being used to improve hearing using gerbils. A small step but a leap towards getting closer to new or improved therapies. Thank You Marcelo Rivolta et Al ! 

http://www.timescolonist.com/health/Stem+cells+used+restore+hearing/7235648/story.html

and

http://www.nature.com/news/human-embryonic-stem-cells-restore-gerbil-hearing-1.11402

 

Monkey research upside down!

The debate has been raging, sparked by animal rights groups. Opposition to the use of chimps in research, ban on breeding in the USA, validity of chimpanzees as research models and even the keeping of chimps in research studies.  No I am not a researcher nor am I looking for a cure for hepatitis C. I am not yet a victim of Parkinson's disease either. I do however care about what is happening to our healthcare systems and medical advancement.
Strangely enough Chimps are listed as endangered species, would that not be reason to support their breeding on a large scale? Some could be destined for research while others for re-introduction into the wild. Keeping a geneticaly diverse gene pool is critical in colonies but also in the wild. Some call this speciesm, well so be it. You can follow some of the recommendations on the use of chimps that came out of the United States IOM report here:
chimp research under scrutiny

I for one am interested in cures and saving lives of humans and animals alike, it is a top priority. I sure am not the only one, as you can witness from the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation towards medical research. As does the Michael J Fox foundation and there are plenty more. Researchers all over the world are providing hope to people. To those that are injured, those that suffer, those that are waiting for a transplant or a cure. Nevermind the debate - when you are ill or those around you affected, chances are that what you care about is to get better or to use the drugs that will cure you and alleviate your pains. And if you are willing to give up your organs for transplantation purposes, would you not want to ensure it works, even if it means testing on animals first? Sure you do, because it is exactly the reason for giving your organs, which is to save lives.

Scientists are making a compelling case towards the need for using animals including non human primates. They are however not marketing what they do as animal rights groups do. Researchers do not use guerilla type marketing with thousands of emails being send by like minded members. They do not call people targets and do not provide physical adresses of individuals involved in research over the internet for demonstration purposes.

So what is next ? Preventing the use of another primate species such as the macaque? Could it be that supply of non human primates be stopped, using the same techniques?
Take a look at this: activists ground primate flights .

Now ask yourself is your voice being heard? What about the voice of those that suffer or those that are affected by a disease? Shall we leave thousands if not millions of people struggling for themselves?
Here's what Roger Morris, Professor of Molecular Neurobiology at King's College London, has to say :

"For complex diseases like Alzheimer's, animal research is vital to find effective and early diagnostic markers that allow treatment while it is still possible. We can reliably identify early stages in the brains of animals, and from there identify changes in people that signify early onset of the disease, before the brain is irreparably damaged. Without that we are unlikely to find effective therapies." 

The UK Alzheimer's Society added that:

Although the exact causes of Alzheimer’s remain unknown, monkeys and GM mice with Alzheimer’s-like brain abnormalities are helping scientists to unlock the secrets of the disease. These animals have been crucial in identifying molecules in the brain that appear to play a role in disease development, and genetic mutations that confer susceptibility to Alzheimer’s. Animal studies have also confirmed that head injuries, obesity and inactivity increase disease risk.

Source: Understanding Animal Research in April 26th 2012 newsletter.