Nobel Laureates along with hundreds of U.S. researchers sign letter to defend animal research

Around 600 members of U.S. scientific community, including 4 Nobel Laureates, have signed a letter that urges research institutions in the country to be more transparent and open with their animal research. The open letter was posted by Speaking of Research, a science advocacy group, based in the U.S. 

The main intent behind this initiative is to respond to the backlash that animal studies are facing. According to Amanda Dettmer, a behavioral neuroscientist and Speaking of Research spokesperson, “Medical research, which relies in great part on responsible, highly-regulated research on animals, has been under siege in the United States for decades.” Further, according to Dettmer, public opinion on animal research is polarized and animal activists are obstructing critical research. Therefore, she and supporters of this move want to bring awareness to the crucial role animal studies play in research.

As reported by Science, Carol Greider, who won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 2009 for her discovery of the enzyme telomerase, says, “Animal research is very important to understanding fundamental biological mechanisms.” Explaining why she chose to sign the open letter, Greider says that her research relied heavily on animal models, and she believes in the efficacy of animal research in expanding our understanding of diseases and treatment methods. Greider has been joined by three other Nobel Laureates, William Campbell, Mario Capecchi, and Torsten Wiesel.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), a group that is fighting to end animal research globally, has responded favorably to the open letter. PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo said, “We ask them to […] explain why they still use animals in drug research.” Presenting a case against the continuation of animal research, Guillermo says that a large percentage of new drugs – as high as 95% – that are effective in animal studies fail to clear human clinical trials. Therefore, research institutions should clarify the need to use animals in research.

The clash between animal activists and the research community over the use of animals in scientific studies has been a longstanding issue. It remains to be seen whether this step to defend animal research gains more traction and brings about a change in the perception toward animal research.

Related reading:

• NIH reverses ban on human-animal chimera research
• The role of regulatory bodies governing animal research
• What do institutional animal ethics boards do?
• Compliance to guidelines in reporting animal research: A case study

References:

• Hundreds of U.S. scientists urge more transparency in animal research
• Nobel Prize Winners Call for Greater Openness in Animal Research