AR-News: Universities' experiments disgraced

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 http://www.sheffieldtoday.net/ViewArticle.aspx?SectionID=58&ArticleID=779781
University in cruelty storm

SHEFFIELD University today defended its experiments on pigs after allegations of cruelty from anti-vivisectionists.

The university was accused of the "unnecessary killing" and ill-treatment of pigs by the National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS).
NAVS claimed the University had used pigs despite evidence that human studies would have brought more valid conclusions.
Research involved tubes being inserted into the heart and blood vessels of live pigs to test a device already being used in human patients, they say. 
The experiment was to compare the effects of different methods for opening constricted blood vessels. But one pig died because of a mistake during surgery, says NAVS -a charge not denied by the University. 
The group calls into question the validity of the experiments because the pigs' blood vessels were not diseased, unlike the human blood vessels where the product would be used.
Human data was available, claimed NAVS, because the products were already in common use. 
The University says it is cutting down on animal experimentation. 
But NAVS chief executive Jan Creamer said: "It's disgraceful that universities are sanctioning cruel and unnecessary tests when human studies into treatments are more revealing.
"Universities should be at the forefront of new methods but they are rapidly being left behind by more advanced non-animal techniques. 
"It has long been recognised that there are clear species differences between animals and humans, but more animals than ever are suffering for research. In this particular case there appears to be no valid reason to conduct these experiments."
But a University spokeswoman refuted the claims. "Scientific work which involves the use of living animals in UK is subject to what is probably the tightest system of regulation in the world," she said. 
"It is authorised by the Home Office, only when there are no satisfactory alternatives, on the smallest number of animals possible, and when measures have been taken to minimise any adverse effects which the animals might experience.
"In each case, the Home Office determines whether the costs to the animals involved justify the medical or scientific advances which are anticipated. We comply with strict Home Office regulations, and in accordance with UK and European law. 
"The University of Sheffield has worked with the Humane Research Trust and others to pioneer the production of antibodies for medical research, using tissue culture methods instead of whole animals.
"We take our legal and ethical responsibilities very seriously, we not only subject all proposals to the Home Office for approval but also examine them internally and we are continually investigating ways of reducing our need for animal experimentation." 
NAVS say Home Office's own figures show that an animal dies in an experiment in a British laboratory every 12 seconds while another two animals are killed - probably gassed - because they were not needed.

23 April 2004



the wild, cruel beast is not behind the bars of the cage. he is in front of it - axel munthe

"Never doubt that a small group of dedicated citizens can change the world. 
Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."      Margaret Mead
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