Genetics
Animal Experiments in the Biotechnology Industry
Genetic engineering enables scientists to alter the genetic make-up of animals, by adding foreign genes to them, or by 'knocking-out' one or more of their own genes. It is the fastest growing area of animal experimentation. The 'success rate' for producing animals with the required genetic make-up is very low - for every 100 microinjected mouse eggs, only between 1 and 10 transgenic offspring are usually produced. All of the animals born without the required gene (90-99%) are simply killed as surplus.
Genetic engineering can cause immense animal suffering. Many of the techniques used are poorly understood and produce unpredictable results. Hundreds of animals may be 'created' in an attempt to obtain a transgenic individual with a particular desired set of traits. Some of these animals may suffer severe, even lethal unexpected effects, such as the development of tumours, brain defects, limb and skull deformities, infertility, arthritis, diabetes and other metabolic disorders. Animals are also deliberately genetically engineered to act as 'models' of painful or distressing human diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and gout.
There are many different types and applications of genetic engineering; here are just a few:
- Gene pharming
- This involves genetically engineering an animal so that its genetic make-up contains a foreign (usually human) gene, which will make proteins for use in the pharmaceutical industry. The protein is secreted into the animal's milk, urine or blood and then collected, purified, and used as a commercial product. Cattle, sheep, goats, rabbits and pigs have already been genetically engineered in this way. Apart from encouraging a view of animals as mere 'products', like all genetic engineering, gene pharming carries with it the capacity to cause suffering and harm to the animals involved; all genetic engineering involves highly invasive surgical procedures such as embryo transfer.
- Xenotransplantation
- The process of transplanting tissue or organs from animals into humans. Interest in xenotransplantation has arisen because of the shortage of human organs for transplant, and animal organs are seen as an alternative. This type of animal to human 'spare part' surgery causes immense animal suffering (keeping 'donor' animals in unnaturally sterile conditions, and transplanting organs from one species to another), poses a potentially huge danger to humans due to risks of virus transfer and because of obvious species differences, it is highly questionable whether animal organs will ever be capable of sustaining human life and health. Organ rejection is a serious problem; the recipient's body recognises the new organ as 'foreign' and attacks it. The research animals who receive transplanted organs may die as a result of organ rejection itself, infection or because of the toxic effects of the immuno-suppressive drugs they are given. In order to try to avoid organ rejection, scientists have been experimenting with pigs that have been genetically engineered with human genes. Because of the added human genes, it is hoped that their organs will not be rejected by the human immune system. Many experiments have taken place involving transplanting organs from the genetically engineered (transgenic) pigs into monkeys and baboons, in order to see whether rejection takes place. In one experiment, cynomolgus monkeys had hearts from transgenic and control pigs transplanted into their abdomens.
- Cloning
- Cloning means the production of genetically identical animals. Cloning involves many possibilities for detrimental effects on animals. For example, cloned lambs and calves are frequently abnormally large at birth - some have been twice normal size. In addition, cloned animals are often found to have malformed internal organs. Immediately after birth many cloned lambs have breathing difficulties, are lethargic and often will not suckle. As a consequence, perinatal mortality is high and miscarriage rates are also high. Cloning techniques also require a great deal of surgical intervention such as hormone injections, surgery to remove egg cells removed, surgical implantation of cloned embryos, delivery via Caesarean section etc.
- Patenting
- Researchers who 'create' new genetically engineered animals with particular traits often apply for patents on the animals concerned, or on the processes used to create the animals. Animals who are the subjects of patent applications have been genetically engineered for medical research, production of pharmaceutical proteins in their milk or blood (gene pharming), increased 'productivity' (farm animals) as well as other miscellaneous reasons. The European Coalition believes that animal patenting is fundamentally immoral. Animals are not merely 'inventions' but remarkable, sentient creatures that should be treated with respect and compassion. Genetic engineering can cause a great deal of animal suffering, and the provision of patent protection encourages this practice by making the development of transgenic animals far more profitable.
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