Ending animal testing – could it improve our health?

Animal medical research, more commonly known as “animal testing” refers to using animals such as mice, birds, fish and rats in scientific projects. The practice often comes at the expense of the animal’s health, making it an ethically divisive subject.

Where Science Meets Ethics

Consider this, you are a scientist trying to understand a medical problem. For example, how breast cancer progresses. You have human cells in a small dish (a cell culture) that you can modify, treat or harm. You decide to use a substance that has the potential to cause cancer, known as a carcinogen. Your cell model works (well done to you), and you understand the direct impacts of the carcinogen on those cells. But now you want to understand what happens to an organ, maybe even a living system under the same carcinogen. What now?

Some scientists would argue that the next logical step is to move on to an animal model: introduce the carcinogen into live test subjects such as rats and monitor outcomes. This can narrow the gap between experimental research and the conclusive evidence we can apply to human disease. However, this reliance on animal testing comes at a high cost in terms of animal welfare and, arguably, the relevance of the findings to human health.

Is It Accurate for Human Disease?

Animal testing may not always provide accurate models for human disease. For example, observing human cancer cells in mice fundamentally differs from observing those cells in a patient diagnosed with the disease. The microenvironments surrounding the cells are different, causing experiment results that may not be the same in humans. However, positive progress is being made…

The ‘Race’ is on for Animal Welfare

The introduction of the Animals in Medical Research (Prohibition) Bill by Steve Race MP (Exeter) marks a turning point for change through policy. The Bill aims to ban the use of animals in medical research and require the use of non-animal methods in future research and all connected purposes. It was inspired by the action of Animal Free Research UK, a charity campaigning for animal-free, human-specific technologies that deliver better treatments for human diseases.

Although Private Members’ Bills like this rarely become law, Race’s voice against animal research will be heard across Parliament. These Bills play a crucial role in raising national awareness and these conversations must start somewhere. His efforts are a bold legislative step to promote animal-free research and the use of more human-specific methods.

The Future of Breast Cancer Research

At Breast Cancer UK, we believe science could and should be doing better. We are proud to say we do not support research projects which involve animal experiments or materials derived from animal experiments.

We go one step further. Breast Cancer UK directly funds human-relevant research exploring how hormone-disrupting chemicals increase the risk of breast cancer. We’ve helped support the use of 3D cell “chips” from breast cancer patients to mimic the human tumour microenvironment more accurately, eliminating the need for animal involvement. Progress in research methods like this reduces harm to animals and impacts breast cancer research relevance and reliability. Improving future outcomes for patients.

At Breast Cancer UK, we welcome the Animals in Medical Research (Prohibition) Bill and consider it a huge step forward in moving away from animal testing. Find your MP here, ask them to back the Bill, and commit to ending animal-based medical research.

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