1 Animal Research Kristey Reed and Andrew Shuff Partnership for Environmental Education and Rural Health Texas A&M University

1 Animals in Research

1 What is research? Scholarly or scientific investigation or inquiry

1 Why do we use animals in research? In order for medical researchers to learn how to treat a disease, they have to study it in a living organism. Animals are physiologically similar to humans and are therefore good models when humans can’t be used.

1 That depends on: which disease or body system is being studied which animals are most similar to humans what animals have been used in past research on the topic in question How do we choose which animals to study?

1 Our Responsibility The ethical treatment of animals means that those animals used in testing should be treated well Regulations are monitored by Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees This includes –Giving the animals a comfortable living environment –Minimizing discomfort from testing –Humanely euthanizing animals

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1 Family Friends Pets

1 Do any of you have pets? Have you gone with your parents to the vet clinic? What does a vet do when you take your pet in for their yearly appointment? They perform a physical exam and administer vaccinations.

1 The first thing a vet may do is listen to your animal’s heart and lungs.

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1 Heart Transplant Dr. Norman Shumway completed a heart transplant in a dog in Eight years later Dr. Christiaan Branard performed the first heart transplant in humans. In 1968 Shumway completed the first human transplant in the United States.

1 PDA Surgery research A PDA is a heart defect found when an artery that is supposed to close at birth, stays open About 5 out of every 1000 puppies are born with this, while up to 2 out of every 10,000 humans are Research into better surgical options for puppies has greatly advanced human treatments

1 Next, the veterinarian takes the animal’s temperature.

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1 Vaccinations Animals have been used to develop multiple vaccines for use in humans –Anthrax: sheep (1880’s) –Cholera: various animals (1885) –Rabies: various animals (1885) –Insulin for Diabetes: dogs (1922) –Leprosy: armadillos (1950s)

1 After the heart rate, respiratory rate and temperature are measured, the animal is examined from head to toe.

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1 Eyes – cataract surgery Each year near 2.7 million Americans have cataract surgery. It’s estimated that 80% of those over 65 have cataracts. Animal research has improved the surgery techniques in both humans and animals.

1 Make sure the animal’s skin looks healthy, muscles are strong, bones and joints are in good shape, etc.

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1 Hip Replacement Because of animal research both people and animals needing hip replacements have been able to walk again. Over 100,000 people receive hip replacements each year.

1 The last thing the vet may do is give the vaccinations.

1 Vaccinations The history of vaccines:  The first attempt to protect against infectious disease by vaccination was done by Edward Jenner with the cowpox virus in the1790s.  In the 1800s Pasteur (who also developed Pasteurization) developed vaccines against rabies and anthrax.

1  By the 1900s five vaccines were being used against smallpox, cholera, typhoid fever, rabies and the plague.  In the 1970s smallpox was eradicated by global vaccination  Today, vaccines are still being developed using new technologies such as genetic engineering.

1 How are vaccines made?  Vaccines were originally made by injecting viruses into chicken eggs, allowing them to multiply and then removing them and deactivating them to produce a vaccine. Some of the vaccines today are still made this way: -Flu vaccines

1 Other methods of vaccine production include: - Tissue culture: viruses are injected into cells (preferably monkey kidney cells) where they are allowed to grow and are then removed. - Reverse genetics: a method of tissue culture vaccine production that needs fewer plasmids to introduce the virus into the kidney cells. Faster!!

1 Vaccine Efficacy: Nobody wants to have a vaccine given to them, their family or their pets without knowing if its effective or safe.

1 There is only one way to ensure that a vaccine is safe and that is to test it. The best way to do this is through animal research.

1 Animal research has already advanced vaccines, surgery, and treatment in both humans and animals Continued animal research may someday help cure cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Animal Research