I read following article.
"Three UCLA researchers honored for bravery in face of threats from extremests"
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/three-ucla-faculty-honored-for-229165.aspx
According to the article, so called anti-animal research extremests did some criminal acts on UCLA scientists working on animal research. The crimes including set fire on the car and the house, flooded the house and confronted family members. In my opinion the extremests qualify as domestic terrorist.
The scientists have been recognized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science for "their strong defense of the importance of the use of animals in research and their refusal to remain silent in the face of intimidation" by anti-animal research extremests.
I don't know exact research the targeted and honored scientists do. All I know is that thay use rats and monkeys for behaviological or neurological studies.
This article caught my attention, because I work with mice, and feel some need to advocate at least for the segment of animal-based research I work on (translational cancer research).
Now, being a top cause of death, cancer has touched lives of so many people. They would know how much we still need more effective therapy, cancer-preventive diet and early diagnostic tools.
Translational Cancer research is a segment of cancer research to bridge knowledge obtained from biological/biomedical studies with model system such as cultured cells and test tubes to clinical practice to prevent, diagnose or cure cancer.
In short, it is a part of process to send a new cancer drug or new regimen or a new diagnostic tool/kit from laboratory to clinic.
For the purpose, researchers use preclinical animal models, usually rodents (laboratory mice and rats). It is out of necessity. The stance of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for the use of animals is clear. "Human diseases justify the use of animals". Since cancers develop in highly complex environments observed only in living animals, there are no substitutes.
On the other hand, for obvious ethical reasons, researchers cannot ask human to participate in such risky studies in the early stage. Besides, human-based studies take too much time. Set things up now, and we'll see the results in 10-30 years. That's too long. We want to know whether the drug works or not ASAP.
Following is a part of what we actually do. Let's say we are testing a promising cancer prevention drug on laboratory mice with cancer-prone genetic mutation. Because of the genetic mutation, the mice are supposed to get cancers in 5 month. We feed the mice with food mixed with the drug. The task is to observe the size and frequency of cancers in the mice. If the drug is working, the cancer size would be smaller, and the frequency would be rarer.
Only after the drug show a promise in this test, the drug may be approved to move toward small scale trial on human. Search for a drug is time-consuming and labor-intensive task, but is necessary.
Another task of ours is to figure out why the drug is working. Usually these drugs in question are designed to target particular biological process, and the actions are backed up by the studies in test tube and with cultured cells. But tissue- or organ-level response to a drug in living animals is entirely different issue.
I do have sentiments for the lives lost in the course of animal-based studies. But we need to determine what works and what not. I believe my priority setting is correct. Not misplaced like that of those extremests.
In Japan, there was a small tombstone next to animal research facility for animals so that you could appreciate and pray for the mice, rats, rabbits and others. Japanese native belief is animistic. As in Hayao Miyazaki movies, a lot of animals and things can have spiritual presence or a soul, and can be a god or a deity of sorts. And their souls can be consoled through prayers. As in the Grudge movies, an angry soul can turn to a harmful demon or a monster. It is better to pray for the soul to rest in peace.
Some other religions believe animals don't have souls, so that we need not to worry about it.
It is amusing to know how we deal with the sentiments associated with animals.
