Talking with Students |
Talking with Adult Audiences | Talking Points
Talking Points
The following information is provided to assist you in speaking to the public on behalf of biomedical research.
- Medical Advances Made Possible By Animal Research
- The Facts About Animals Used In Biomedical Research
- Biomedical Research Advances
- Public Support for Biomedical Research
- The Need for Continued Support
I. Medical Advances Made Possible By Animal Research
(Taken from Unit II, Chapter 3, of the
Rx for Science Literacy teacher manual.)
Without animal research ...
- Polio would kill or cripple thousands of unvaccinated children and adults this year.
- Some of the 50 to 60 percent of newborns who develop jaundice each year would develop cerebral palsy, now preventable through phototherapy.
- Most of the nation’s 580,000 insulin-dependent diabetics wouldn’t be insulin dependent. They would be dead.
- The United States would experience 1.5 million cases of rubella — more than 400 times the current annual incidence of the disease.
- Sixty-five million Americans would be at risk for death from heart attack, stroke or kidney failure since they would not have medication to control their high blood pressure.
- The 200,000 arthritics who receive hip replacements each year would be confined to wheelchairs.
- More than a million people would lose their vision in at least one eye since there would be no cataract surgery available. Eighty percent of all persons 65 or older will need cataract surgery in at least one eye.
- Without cataract surgery, more than a million people would lose their vision in at least one eye. Eighty percent of all persons 65 or older will need cataract surgery in at least one eye.
- Death would be a certainty for the more than 16,000 patients in the United States who receive kidney transplants each year. An additional 63,000 patients are in need of this operation.
- There would be no kidney dialysis to extend the lives of the more than 453,000 victims of end-stage renal disease.
- Chemotherapy would not be able to save children who currently survive acute lymphocytic leukemia.
- Hundreds of thousands of people disabled by stroke and head injury would not benefit from rehabilitation techniques developed in animals.
- New surgical procedures to repair congenital heart defects would have to be abandoned or tried for the first time on children.
- A cure for diabetes would be beyond reach.
- The number and variety of medications that keep HIV infections under control would not be available.
- There would be no hope of finding a safe and effective vaccine against AIDS.
- Development of techniques that may help restore function to paralyzed victims of spinal cord injuries would not continue.
- The 30,000 young Americans with cystic fibrosis would have little hope of a normal lifespan.
- The one million people worldwide with multiple sclerosis would lose the promise of new treatments for the symptoms of this degenerative disease.
- Thousands of schizophrenics would be institutionalized because of the lack of understanding of the disease and its treatment.
- Methods to prevent many cancers would never be found since theories about genetic and environmental causative factors cannot be tested in humans.
- Improvement of hearing through electronic stimulation of the inner ear might never benefit any of the 28 million Americans with hearing loss.
- It would be too dangerous to test breakthrough products such as artificial blood that show promise for saving the lives of critically injured accident victims.
- Researchers would be unable to clarify the cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Without that knowledge, the prognosis for the 4.5 million Americans with Alzheimer’s would remain bleak.
- The development of urgently needed new drugs to treat heart disease, cancer and a host of other diseases would be severely curtailed.
return to top
II. The Facts About Animals Used In Biomedical Research
(Excerpted from Unit II, Chapter 4, of the
Rx for Science Literacy teacher manual.)
Research studies are carefully designed and conducted to yield scientifically reliable results, using as few animals as possible.
- More than 90 percent of these animals are rodents, whose short life span, ease of breeding and similarity to human biology fit many scientific purposes.
- Scientists now canbreed mice and rats with genetic alterations that mimic human diseases, which has revolutionized medical research. Genetically altered rodents have allowed researchers to observe what happens during the progression of Parkinson’s disease, cancer, cystic fibrosis, heart disease, memory loss, muscular dystrophy and spinal cord injuries.
- Other animals used in research come from many different species — fish, sheep, cows, horses, pigs, armadillos, goats, etc. — depending on the biological functions being studied. The choice of species is a carefully thought-out process.
- Fewer than one percent of animals used in medical research are cats and dogs, which are often used to study the nervous and circulatory systems.
- Fewer than 0.5 percent are nonhuman primates such as monkeys, which are of particular importance in studying the brain and in developing human vaccines.
- Most animals used in medical research are bred specifically for research. Some studies require animals that have a known genetic history and specific traits, and breeding animals allows scientists to control those traits. Also, due to restrictive legislation in some states, unwanted animals in city pounds may not be released for research, even though their use in medical research would produce benefits to humans and animals. Nothing is gained from their routine destruction. In fact, for each dog or cat used in research, 100 abandoned animals are killed in pounds and shelters.
- In a few cases, nonendangered species of wild animals are imported into the United States for use in research. Endangered species such as chimpanzees are protected by international agreements; no chimpanzees have been imported for research since the 1970s.
Other Important Facts:
- Ninety-five percent of all animals used in medical research are rats, mice or other rodents specifically bred for research.
- Valid and useful scientific findings are obtainable only when research animals are healthy and protected from undue stress.
- Federal regulations prohibit both animal abuse and use of sick, injured or distressed animals as research subjects.
- The majority of animal studies use medical techniques similar to those used on humans. They involve little or no pain to the animals.
- Humans also often are used as research subjects.
- Research animals are selected carefully to ensure that only the number and species essential to each research project is used.
- Most research animals are bred specifically for that purpose.
Below is a comparison of the 1998 figures concerning the numbers and kinds of animals used with those from the first reporting year of 1973:
- Dogs: The number used in FY 1998 represents a 61 percent decline since FY 1973.
- Cats: The number used dropped 62 percent since FY 1973.
- Guinea pigs: Their use was down 36 percent since FY 1973.
- Hamsters: The use of hamsters dropped 54 percent since FY 1973.
- Rabbits: The number used declined 35 percent since FY 1973.
return to top
III. Biomedical Research Advances
(Excerpted from Unit I, Chapter 4, of the
Rx for Science Literacy teacher manual.)
Vaccines Made Possible By Biomedical Research:
- Smallpox
- Diphtheria
- Polio
- Measles
- Tetanus
- Rubella
- Yellow Fever
- Chicken Pox
- Hepatitis A and B
- Haemophilis B
Medications Made Possible By Biomedical Research:
- Insulin
- Antibiotics
- Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
- Pain Killers
- Anticoagulants
- Chemotherapeutic Drugs
Conditions That Are Now Treatable Because Of Biomedical Research:
- Anemia
- Gallstones
- Cataracts
- Ear Infections
- Vitamin Deficiencies
- Bone Fractures
- Cancer
- Bronchitis
- Allergies
- Childhood Leukemia
Diseases With Life-Prolonging Treatments Because Of Biomedical Research:
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Epilepsy
- Hemophilia
- AIDS
- Parkinson’s Disease
return to top
IV. Public Support for Biomedical Research
Public opinion polls conducted by Research!America, a national,
not-for-profit medical and health education and advocacy alliance, show that
the American public believes medical research is vital for the health and
wealth of the nation. Support is not diminished even when the public is
reminded that medical research does not always bring immediate results.
A comprehensive collection of current Research!America public opinion polls
can be found at http://www.researchamerica.org/poll_history.
Highlights from Research!America's 2001 Aggregate Public Opinion Poll arelisted below:
- How important do you think it is that the U.S. maintain its role as
a world leader in medical research? 88 percent said it's very important.
- Would you be willing to pay $1 more per week in taxes for more
health research? 61 percent said yes.
- Would you be willing to pay $1 more for each prescription drug if
all the money would be spent for additional medical research? 63 percent
said yes.
- Do you agree or disagree that Congress should support tax and
regulatory policies that encourage private industries to conduct more
medical research? 72 percent said agreed.
- Even if it brings no immediate benefits, basic science research,
which advances the frontiers of knowledge, is necessary and should be
supported by the Federal Government? 81 percent strongly/somewhat agree.
- In terms of jobs, incomes and quality of life, how important do you
think spending money on medical and health research is to your state's
economy? 92 percent said it is very/somewhat important.
return to top
V. The Need for Continued Support
Despite many triumphs, numerous challenges remain:
- Although we now can treat a few genetic diseases, there are thousands of inherited conditions we do not understand.
- Although we have controlled polio and smallpox, countries around the world are struggling with HIV and are worried about invasions by exotic viruses, like Ebola and Lassa Fever.
- Although we can treat most bacterial infections with penicillin and other antibiotics, many bacteria have now become resistant to what were once our most effective drugs.
- Although we have dramatically reduced the death rates for heart attacks and strokes, we are still seeking ways to repair hearts and brains damaged by poor blood flow.
- Although we know the mutant genes responsible for many cancers, we haven't transformed that knowledge into better therapies.
- Although we have improved the well-being of most people in the industrialized countries, malaria, childhood diarrhea, and tuberculosis are still common in the developing world.
- And although we have extended the average life span in this country to nearly eighty years, we have made little progress against the maladies that make advanced age intolerable for so many people.
return to top
