Animal Welfare Information General
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- 4. Premarin Exposed - brochure
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- 7. Animal Use in the Lab
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- 9. The Truth About Snow Dogs
Animal Use in the Lab
Stephen L. Zawistowski, Ph.D., Sr. VP ASPCA Animal Sciences
"The more things change..."
By Stephen L. Zawistowski, Ph.D.
When animal activist Henry Spira pounded the pavement outside research laboratories and corporate headquarters in the 1970s, few people would have guessed that one day there would be an award named in his honor. The award, given to a scientist, recognizes contributions that reduce, refine and replace the use of animals in research. Back in the '70s, scientists and corporate moguls thought that Spira - the founder of Animal Rights International - was something of a crank whom they hoped would eventually tire out and go away. He didn't. Truth be told, Spira actually was something of a crank, but he was all about pushing the issue a little bit further every day. His show on the street - ideology shouted through a bullhorn and shocking newspaper ads - started a dialogue that would eventually change the way companies, scientists and individuals thought about animal use in the lab.
Then there's Bernard J. Lasker. If Spira was an outsider, Lasker was the ultimate inside guy. A former chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, Lasker had a soft spot for animals. During his life, he supported ASPCA work on animal research issues, and when he died, his estate included a bequest to continue these efforts. He just might have been one of those corporate moguls who first looked down on Spira and his band of protesters.
It was delicious irony, therefore, that in August 2002 in New Orleans, on the occasion of the Fourth World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences, awards named for both men were presented. The ASPCA/ Lasker fellowship was presented to Dr. Tirumalai Rangasamy, a young scientist at Johns Hopkins University who is conducting research that includes or expands the use of the "three Rs": reduce, refine and replace animals in the lab. The award is offered in conjunction with the Johns Hopkins University Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT). Dr. Rangasamy's work may enhance the utility of cell tissue cultures for disease research. The Johns Hopkins CAAT, in turn, presented the Henry Spira Award for Ethical Activism to Dr. Andrew Rowan of the Humane Society of the United States for a career committed to dialogue and action to help animals.
In the Beginning
The first world congress was held in Baltimore in 1993, with the second and third in the Netherlands and Italy in 1996 and 1999, respectively. The goals of the first congress were to review progress in the three Rs; promote a realistic understanding of alternatives and evaluate the current use of animals; and foster dialogue among animal welfare advocates and the scientific community. The fourth world congress stayed true to these goals.
The years since the first congress have seen substantial progress in the development of new methods. A wide range of methods in cell biology and tissue culture continues to drive progress in the evolution of in vitro toxicology. At the same time, studies in functional genomics are able to generate data faster than it can be analyzed, understood and put to use.
Red Flags and the Future
Amidst the enthusiasm for the progress that was reported, several areas of concern must be monitored. New genetic methods may provide advances in alternatives to animal use, but they may also open a wide spectrum of new uses for animals. The availability of transgenic lines of mice, for example, may stimulate an increase in their use as models for various diseases. This is significant within the context of recent legislation that continues to exclude rats and mice from protection under the Animal Welfare Act.
A second area of concern is the bureaucratic logjam that impedes rapid acceptance and implementation of alternatives for product testing. While bodies have been established to oversee the process - specifically, the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods in the United States and the European Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods in Europe - the gears of government grind slowly.
A fifth congress has been scheduled for Germany in 2005. It is difficult to predict what changes will develop in the intervening years. If experience is any guide, change is likely to happen in some unsuspected areas. At the same time, it's paramount that we confront complacency. After all, the more things change, the more they remain the same.
Dr. "Z" is the senior vice president of ASPCA Animal Sciences and Animal Watch science advisor.
© 2003 ASPCA
ASPCA Animal Watch - Spring 2003
Courtesy of
ASPCA
424 East 92nd St.
New York, NY 10128-6804
(212) 876-7700
www.aspca.org
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