Animal Research

This was a post by "Doghouse" on the The Guardian Blog

No animal test has ever produced a useful result, ever. Seriously. Not ever.

I read the Internet and it told me that every scientist is a moustache twirling megalomaniac who conducts cruel experiments on animals for fun, knowing full well that nothing productive has ever come of animal testing. In fact, every scientist who says otherwise, and who knows more about science than I do, is merely on the pay roll of pharmaceutical corporations. Scientists only role in this world is to torture animals for money. They accomplish this by pitting them in mortal combat in some kind of lab-based gladiatoral arena, where their violent conflicts churn out money for the corporate fat-cats and keep the rest of us sheeple in poverty.

This is what you sound like. Grow up.

Yep well said Doghouse...Animal Experimentation is only part of the quest to get treatments to MSers, it is getting less and less.

However it should be getting more transparent.


Queen Mary, University of London, has joined with 40 other organisations from across the life sciences sector in signing up to a declaration on openness on animal research.

The declaration was launched 19th October at a briefing attended by David Willetts MP, Minister of State for universities and science, where the latest ipsos MORI poll on public opinion into animal research was released. The survey shows a slight fall in public support for research that uses animals. Whilst the majority of people still support the need for animals to be used in medical research where there is no alternative, the figures also show that a significant proportion of the population want to know more about the reasons why animals are used and the strict conditions under which that use is regulated.

The signatories announced include universities, charities, pharmaceutical companies and research councils. This group, led by Understanding Animal Research, will work together to develop principles of open communication as well as some practical steps and measurable objectives for a more transparent approach across the bioscience community to animal research. 

The Mori Poll found 

“I agree with animal experimentation for all types of
research where there is no alternative” Around 50% of people agree with this statement. Just over half of people (55%) are unconditional acceptors.


“It does not bother me if animals are used in
experimentation” Only 21% of people agree with this statement, indicating that this is still an issue that the public care about.

“I can accept animal experimentation as long as it is
for medical research purposes” (66%)
“I can accept animal experimentation as long as
there is no unnecessary suffering to the animals” (66%)
I agree with animal experimentation for all types
of medical research where there is no alternative” (63%)

I suspect if we polled people with diseases such as MS, their responses may be different and they would be more pro animal research. Animal research is being squeezed in the UK all the time. Part of this is by regulation but the main driver that is reducing animal research in universities is the sheer and staggering costs of undertaking the work due to spiralling University charges. Less than 1% of recent papers on EAE originate from within the UK. 

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