The BUAV is dismayed to learn of the latest research by the Roslin Institute, that involves genetically modified pigs. Research involving genetically modified animals is extremely cruel. Few animals show "desired" characteristics, and so the many who do not are killed even before any research can take place, while others die of severe and unrelated malformations caused by the genetic modification techniques themselves. Individuals who do exhibit characteristics of "interest" are destined to suffer greatly due to these abnormalities and as a result of the experiments to which they are subjected.

Although all mammals are sentient in ways similar to human beings, pigs - the subjects of the Roslin experiments - have cognitive abilities more advanced than three-year old children, ranking behind only dolphins and nonhuman primates. To deliberately harm them in experiments is cruel. To make matters even worse, the scientific worth of the experiments in question is dubious at best.

Even a cursory examination of the available evidence would lead an unbiased person to conclude that animal research is a failure. Around 100 AIDS vaccines, over two dozen diabetes treatments; and hundreds of treatments for stroke, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cancer and many more diseases – worked in mice, monkeys and even chimpanzees, yet failed in human beings. Genetic modification has failed to overcome species differences at the root of these failures. Often, animals with identical genetic faults found in people with specific diseases show different symptoms and abnormalities.

For example, retinitis pigmentosa, one of the conditions the Roslin Institute is studying in genetically modified pigs, causes blindness in human beings through degeneration of the visual cells primarily in the fovea and macula of the human eye. Because these structures, critical for vision in human beings, are not present in pigs, using pigs to "model" retinitis pigmentosa cannot succeed in improving our understanding of, or ability to treat, this disease. Furthermore, because this disease has a strong heritable component, studying and modifying the human genome would be a better and more effective means of dealing with this disease.

Dr Jarrod Bailey, BUAV's Scientific Advisor states:

"Instead of stubbornly forging ahead with ever greater amounts of research involving genetically modified animals, which is not only extremely cruel but the validity of which has never been established, organisations such as the Roslin Institute should instead be looking ahead to what can be achieved using technologically advanced human-specific clinical and in vitro research. Only by studying human cells, tissues, and real people, can true medical progress be made."

17 June 2010