Are there alternatives to animal testing?

As before, each year millions of animals die in US for medical research. The research groups looking for alternatives to the sometimes cruel experiments – successfully. Every year, almost three million animals losing their lives in US for medical research – and mostly after long suffering.

There are other ways. The scientists developed as model for experiments a human skin cells, obtained by synthetically way, on which can be tested, how skin reacts to certain substances; previously for such tests rabbit had been shaved. The researchers hope to be able to use also models for skin cancer research soon.

New models can replace animal experiments.

Scientists is of the opinion that a far-reaching renunciation of animal experiments would be possible today. In this case important role will play provision of funding. In this way, an EU-wide ban on animal testing for the cosmetics industry could be enforced already in 2015. But for pharmacological research animal testing is still allowed.

Great hopes assigned to the development of so-called multi-organ chips. Researchers build organs in miniature on a chip and to connect them through a nutrient solution. As the result we get a kind of “micro-man”, grown from adult stem cells. Actually managed to develop a complete model of the human organism, which reflects all processes in the body. This would be a success for medical research and would make tests on live animals and people not so popular.

Predictive value of animal tests is doubtful.

Using of animals for medical purposes, is not only a moral problem. Experts are continuously stressing also doubts about the animal testing. Because between the human organism and the existence of animals are significant differences, and the results of the tests are not fully transferable. We often can meet the case that drugs in humans cause serious, sometimes even fatal side effects, which were well tested on tolerated by the animals .