• Question: Why can't alternatives such as computer models and cell cultures replace animal research?

    Asked by jessc to Jo, Kevin, Louise, Valeria on 20 Jun 2012. This question was also asked by livgn1029.
    • Photo: Kevin Mahon

      Kevin Mahon answered on 20 Jun 2012:

      While what you propose certainly may be possible for some aspects of animal reserach inevitably, we can’t use computer models for many animal behvaiour studies as we don’t have the basic information we’d need to do it.

    • Photo: Valeria Senigaglia

      Valeria Senigaglia answered on 20 Jun 2012:

      Models need initial inputs, so you need some starting values to the model what would happen under different conditions that may or may not happen i the future.
      Animal research gives these starting values. Moreover when you work with behaviours that varies at individuals level you cannot assume the entire population will act the same way.

    • Photo: Joanna Cruden

      Joanna Cruden answered on 20 Jun 2012:

      Before any animal is used in research the scientist must be able to demonstrate that there is no alternative way to find the answer without using an whole living organism

      For general animal welfare behavioural test the animal has to be alive and you need the same species.

      For medical research it is a little more complicated, I have posted a timeline picture on my profile page which shows you when animals are used in research.

      When we are researching to find new drugs we can often use computer images and other non-animal (in-vitro) methods. We can also use cell culture to see if a drug will reach its target.

      What we cannot see from medical testing is whether the drug will interact with other organs in the body so you may have a fantastic drug that stops heart attacks but in the meantime it destroys the liver. We can only work out how a drug interacts in a body by using animals. We may not all look the same but if you open us up we are quite similar (I have put a picture up to illustrate this on my profile page)

      Another reason we have to use animals is because our liver is very efficient at metabolising drugs and so again we may have a drug which has the potential to work but the liver metabolises it so quickly it does not get a chance to get to the disease target.

      Animal testing is expensive and if there was an alternative to using them then they would not be used for medical testing. If I did not honestly believe animal testing was a small but vital part of medical research I would not do this work.

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