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Biofokus Spezial August 2015 | BioFokus Spezial BioFokus Spezial Non human primates as models in research – The view of scientists ARATION CL E D L E S A B www.basel-declaration.org www.forschung-leben.ch IMPRESSUM BioFokus ISSN 1661-9854 25th volume Editors • «Forschung für Leben» («Research for Life») President: Prof Dr Dr Michael Hottiger www.forschung-leben.ch • Basel Declaration Society President: Prof Dr Rolf Zeller www.basel-declaration.org Authors • Prof Dr Rüdiger Behr Stem Cell Biology Unit/ German Primate Center GmbH / Leibnitz Institute for Primate Research / Göttingen, Germany • Prof Dr Gerhard Heldmaier University of Marburg, Marburg a.d. Lahn • Prof Dr Hansjörg Scherberger German Primate Center GmbH / Leibnitz Institute for Primate Research / Göttingen, Germany • Prof (em.) Dr Hans-Peter Schreiber Bioethics ETH Zurich / Switzerland • Prof Dr Stefan Treue German Primate Center GmbH / Leibnitz Institute for Primate Research / Göttingen, Germany Editorial staff Prof Dr Felix Ehrensperger Prof Dr Martin Schwyzer Astrid Kugler, Managing Director Layout Pomcany’s Marketing AG, www.pomcanys.ch Office • «Forschung für Leben» Aargauerstrasse 250 8048 Zürich • Basel Declaration Society Postfach 33 4009 Basel BioFokus Spezial/2015 3 Contents Editorial 5 Prof (em.) Dr Hans-Peter Schreiber Animal testing: does it make sense? 6 Prof Dr Rüdiger Behr From animal physiology to human health 13 Prof Dr Gerhard Heldmaier and Prof Dr Stefan Treue Neuroprosthetics 16 Prof Dr Hansjörg Scherberger 4 BioFokus Spezial/2015 «In all our ethical rulings and actions in research, we need a responsible and ethical direction that continues to remind us that abolishing research in the name of abstract animal rights legislation would be extremely morally irresponsible in the face of the millions of human beings suffering from dementia today and even more so in the future» Hans-Peter Schreiber BioFokus Spezial/2015 5 Editorial Animal testing makes a vital contribution to the animal testing commissions of the cantons to weigh generation of essential biomedical findings, to the the competing interests, as required by animal pro- development of new drugs, and to new treatment tection law. concepts for both humans and animals. Even though a considerable fraction of biomedical research al- From the perspective of a medicine oriented towards ready uses testing methods that do not involve ex- innovation and progress, in the future it will be im- perimenting on animals, a series of questions can possible to do without the use of primates in re- only be answered by means of animal testing. Ani- search. Such use, however, will be carried out only mal testing is used when complex processes and in- in line with a strict weighing of competing interests, teractions in the living organism must be investi- and with strong awareness of our great responsibil- gated. There has been controversial and deeply ity towards every laboratory animal. In all our ethi- polarising discussion about the use of non-human cal rulings and actions in research, we need a re- primates in biomedical research, particularly in the sponsible and ethical direction that continues to neurosciences, for many years. The internationally remind us that abolishing research in the name of published results of these studies, however, make abstract animal rights legislation would be extremely plain that it is precisely research using non-human morally irresponsible in the face of the millions of primates that is and will remain an important com- human beings suffering from dementia today and ponent of biomedical research in the 21st century. even more so in the future; all those hoping for both Above all, the use of primates in basic research has a scientific explanation of their suffering and for the deepened our understanding of neurobiological development of new treatment options. relationships enormously. Among other things, for example, most of our knowledge about the function The following contributions from the field of neuro- of individual areas in the brain comes from experi- science make clear that a sharp distinction between ments on monkeys – this is because important struc- basic research and applied research can no longer tures in the brain stem, the cerebellum and the be maintained, given the fact that most questions to cerebrum function in the same specialised way as be explained via basic scientific research remain in humans, only on the evolutionary stage of unsolved problems in clinical practice. primates. Experiments on non-human primates therefore will be of great importance for research into human Hans-Peter Schreiber diseases in the future as well. A circumstance, inci- dentally, that the revised EU Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific pur- poses, expressly recognises with regard to the use of non-human primates in basic research (Articles 5 and 8). As regards the ruling of the Swiss Federal Court on primate research at the University of Zürich, handed down in October 2010, it must be noted that bio- medical research cannot – as the court decision sug- gests – be selectively divided up into basic research and applied research. Rather, medical research is a continuum that encompasses both the princi- ple-based basic research of biological processes in healthy as well as sick organisms, and the clinical development and testing of innovative treatments. The consensus is that all research projects involving animal testing must comprehensively accommodate legislative animal rights and ethical requirements. Above all, this compels both the researcher and the 6 BioFokus Spezial/2015 Animal testing: does it make sense? Rüdiger Behr As a child I can clearly remember flicking through Why am I prepared to risk the lives of a magazine and being greeted with the sight of animals? monkeys used in animal experiments. Back then I wondered why people used animals in laboratory Or better put: Which human interests are more val- tests; why they would subject them to possible pain uable to me than the integrity of animal life? in the process. Today, I myself do research – in- cluding on monkeys.* In my view, in some fields I can agree with many demands of animal welfare this is the only way to obtain results that will one groups. For example, I found the demand for a ban day benefit modern medicine. I would be very on animal testing in cosmetic research, as is now in pleased if you would take a few minutes to read on force in the EU and Switzerland, very worthy of with an impartial mind about the reasons that have support. So too is the demand for a ban on distress- brought me to carry out tests on animals. Perhaps ing and traumatic animal transport, not to mention you will learn a few new arguments, regardless of the ban on the private rearing of many animal spe- whether or not you are convinced by the justifiabil- cies by „animal lovers“, as the animals are often not ity and advantages of animal testing. cared for in a species-appropriate way. I also view fur farming with an extremely critical eye. The list I will start with a couple of reflections on the weigh- could go on. It is therefore not at all my belief that ing of interests between animals and people, a people should have indiscriminate and arbitrary process that also implies a relative evaluation of hu- command over animal life. man and animal life. At this point I would also like to provide a few figures on the „consumption“ of I strive to protect the grasshopper when mowing the animals in our society. I will then move on to illus- lawn; I don‘t simply „cut him down“ – an anecdotal trating the proven and expected benefits of animal indication that I am not indifferent to animal life, testing by means of three topic areas: organ trans- even the „lower“ invertebrate animals. And yet I plantation, cell replacement therapy and the estab- perform experiments on vertebrate animals. How lishment of new model organisms for research of can that be? When I consider using animals in ex- human diseases. I would like to conclude with a periments, I need good reasons that must be short plea for what is known as basic research – in- weighed against other arguments. In the grasshop- cluding on animals. per example, the grasshopper‘s (presumed) interest in life and my interest in mowing the lawn are in * When we talk about monkeys, we mean Rhesus monkeys (Macaca ** In my view, there are several very useful and reputable ideas and mulatta), cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) or common approaches, some tests and experiments carried out today on ani- marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). These are the most commonly used mals, that should be carried out on cultivated cells in vitro (however, species in pre-clinical research. Experiments on great apes (chim- attention must always be paid to where the cells for these tests come panzees, gorillas, orang-utans) are fundamentally forbidden in Eu- from, and whether an animal must be killed to obtain them). As a rope and no longer carried out here. To prevent another misappre- partial substitute for, and supplement to, tests on living animals, hension: in the work field discussed here, laboratory animals are often these new approaches appear very promising. However, there are al- only subject to potential pain and suffering in isolated incidents and ways claims that animal testing could be replaced entirely by other in the short term. Moreover, relief of pain is achieved by state of the methods and that these replacement methods would provide even art analgesics. The stress is often caused by procedures that occur better and more meaningful results. I consider these claims false. A similarly in daily veterinary practice – something usually viewed fa- mammal is such a complex being (a «system», technically speaking) vourably by the population – for example castrations.
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