Animal testing and why it's an issue

Anonymous Student & Rylan Goetze

April 3, 2024

Every day in labs across the world, rabbits are made to consume drugs, or a monkey is used to test cosmetic products. These animals are being used every day to test products. 

The animals being used for these tests get mutated, injured, or even killed, this happens to millions of animals per year. 

“The pain and suffering that experimental animals are subject to is not worth any possible benefits to humans,” says The Lone Star College in their article.

Some people don’t want animal testing gone, while other people and organizations are taking steps to stop it. Researchers at the Wyss Institute at Harvard created the organ-on-chip, which is one example of methods that are replacing animal testing. The organ-on-chip is a device that replicates the functions of living human organs.

“The chips are a clear flexible polymer about the size of a USB memory stick that contains hollow microfluidic channels lined with living human organ cells and human blood vessel cells,” says the Wyss Institute. With these, drug testing will be much easier. 

“Animal models often do not accurately reflect human physiology, meaning that drugs that appear to be safe and effective in animals frequently turn out to be harmful or ineffective in humans,” The Wyss Institute said.

Another replacement for animal testing is artificial skin models. 

Artificial skin models are sheets of bioengineered skin cells. This artificial skin mimics real skin cells. Even though it is artificial skin, it still very closely resembles real human skin. These artificial skin models can be used to replace animal testing because the models mimic actual skin, so companies that produce cosmetic products can use the artificial skin to test their products on, instead of testing them on animals.  

“It can be produced on a large scale and is a good substitute for animal testing,” reporter Heloisa Reinert said of a study in a peer-reviewed publication.  

The FDA is working on getting rid of animal testing with their own methods, including the New Alternatives Program.  

“FDA’s New Alternative Methods Program is intending to spur the adoption of alternative methods for regulatory use that can replace, reduce, and refine animal testing,” said the FDA in their article. The FDA wants to replace animal testing by finding or making new safer methods. They also want to reduce animal testing by getting more and more companies to switch to using other methods. Lastly, they want to refine animal testing by making it safer and less harmful towards animals.

A lot of people want to get rid of and replace animal testing because of how much it is hurting animals. Some say it is necessary. 

Either way, many things are being done to stop animal testing for good. 

Ways that you can help stop animal testing is trying to buy only cruelty-free products, or you could also educate others to raise awareness. More than 115 million animals are affected by animal testing each year. “Don’t leave people in the dark about the horrors of the animal experimentation industry,” said PETA in their article.

Photo Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mice_in_the_laboratory.jpg