Is Animal Testing Ever Justified?

Using animals in testing has become so commonplace that one definition of “guinea pig” is defined in Merriam Webster as “a subject of research, experimentation or testing.” Animal testing has played a role in biomedical research for centuries. The oldest instance dates as far back as Ancient Greek times. When biologists like Aristotle and Erasistratus experimented on  living animals to better understand their anatomies. In  recent years, animals such as mice, rabbits, rats, monkeys, cats, dogs, and fish have been used to test the safety and effectiveness of cosmetic products or develop medical treatments and procedures. Animal experimentation has typically not been held to the same standard of ethical conduct as human experiments. In the past, animals have been deliberately sickened with toxic chemicals, intentionally infected with disease, made to inhale harmful fumes, (ld50 test) had holes drilled into their skulls, and had their skin burned. These acts of cruelty do not always lead to new findings. A product that is effective  on a mouse is not always effective on humans. A group of mice in a controlled environment cannot predict the responses of humans living in diverse natural conditions. Also, there are major differences between species in terms of anatomy, organ structure and function, chemical absorption, and lifespan. The director of the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Richard Klausner stated, “The history of cancer research has been a history of curing cancer in the mouse... We have cured mice of cancer for decades— and it simply didn’t work in humans.” This is the main reason why animal testing should be banned. On top of  it being cruel to make animals suffer, it doesn’t always produce accurate data. Therefore, wasting time, life, and money, especially when there are safer alternatives.  One alternative is computer algorithms that can predict a chemical’s toxicity better than standard animal tests and  “organ-on-a-chip” technology,  a collection of cells designed to mimic human organs. Developments such as these provide hope that the medical and cosmology industry can move away from animal testing. The Environmental Protection Agency hopes to completely eliminate the practice by 2035, and they are prioritizing the development and usage of “new approach methods”  to test chemicals for health effects. Let us hope that the EPA is correct in its prediction and that animal testing will be eliminated for good.