A- Hastings center

Question 1

A1 JSTOR Hastings center report, No Animals Harmed:Toward a Paradigm Shift in Toxicity Testing

Answer 1

Actual testing on animals

• continuing use of animals for testing will result in the killing of millions
• not clear how often animal models have led researchers down the wrong path because results were not applicable to humans

Question 2

A2 no animals harmed: toward a paradigm shift in toxicity testing

Answer 2

Alternative

• based on human cell systems
• more predictive
• higher throughput
• cost less
• more comparable to real life situations
• uses fewer animals
• signals a major change in focus and promotes development of new approaches to understanding toxicity of chemicals in humans

Question 3

A3 no animals harmed

Answer 3

Different chemical concentrations

• human exposures to chemicals occur at low concentrations
• animals would have to be treated with high levels of concentrations to to detect effects
• more animals, time, and money needed
• results with high dose on animals differ from the low concentration exposed to humans
• scientists must extrapolate

Question 4

A4 no animals harmed

Answer 4

• results are obtained from rats and mice, different chemical responses as humans
• toxicity tests in rodents predict human toxicity on 43% of the time
• uncertainty factor must be applied

Question 5

A5 no animals harmed

Answer 5

Ethical concerns

• number of animals that would be required for a full testing
• testing protocols involve pain, distress, or both to the animals
• major animal welfare issue

Question 6

A6 No animals harmed

Answer 6

Toxicity testing on the 21st century (report)

• proposed a major change in toxicity testing
• shift from charting effects on animals to mapping in human cells with minimal animal use
  - expected to result in an adverse effect at the cellular level and may lead to an adverse health effect for the organism
• instead of dosing an animal and looking at results, involves measuring changes in the molecules of the cell in response

Question 7

A7 no animals harmed

Answer 7

• forecasts the eventual end for the need for animals in toxicity testing
• advances can also benefit the future of animal use for biomedical research
• it is likely that animals will eventually become obsolete for research to benefit humans