More than 100 million animals suffer and die every year in the U.S from cruel experiments. Mice, rabbits, guinea pigs, cats, dogs, and many other animal species are harmed in experiments. These experiments include testing medicine, cosmetic products, and even testing household products on the animals. This leads to the animals suffering both physically and psychologically. The tests are cruel, unreliable, and inhumane.
Although many people believe that testing on animals is the only way to ensure that products are safe, there are many alternatives. Some cruelty free companies are Lush, Bath and Body Works, and E.L.F. These companies use methods that are not only more humane, but are also cheaper, faster, and more relevant to humans. Just because the product does not effect the animal, does not mean it will be the same with a human. Harvard’s Wyss Institute created “organs-on-chips”. They contain human cells that mimic the structure and function of human organs. The chips have a more accurate response to medicines and other consumer products. According to Geraldine Hamilton, a senior staff scientist at the Wyss institute, “One of the things that the pharmaceutical industry is finding is that they’re having very high failure rates, and often it’s because the animal models being used to develop these drugs are not predictive of the human situation”. Another harmless method that can be used to test products is fake skin made up of human skin cells. The company PETA stated that MatTek’s Epiderm Tissue Model is a “… 3-dimensional, human cell–derived skin model that replicates key traits of normal human skin”. It is extremely similar to human skin, therefore has a much more reliable reaction to medicines and cosmetics.
Some people believe that using animals to test different products is cheaper and more reliable than using technology. Dan Huh, a technological developer, stated, “It’s very expensive to preform animal studies, and time consuming”. He also claims, “…the beauty of this technology is it’s so easy and straightforward, that a lot of people can use it without getting trained”. This means that biologists, clinicians, and chemists do not have to have a background in engineering to use the technology. Geraldine Hamilton also believes that using technology is more cost efficient. She stated, “Much cheaper than using animal models…You need very little compound…”. Since the technology replicating human organs is so small, medicine can be tested in much smaller amounts. Since the animals that are tested on do not have the same genetic makeup as we do, we cannot be sure that just because it is safe with an animal it is safe for our use. For example, medicine that is safe for us is unsafe for other animals. Aspirin kills cats and causes many health issues with other animals. Also morphine, which is a depressant to us, is a stimulant for cats and goats. This shows that medicine effects animals and humans differently. Animals are not reliable in the testing of medicine.
Animal testing is not needed and it is extremely cruel. Replacing animal models with technology will majorly benefit the pharmaceutical industry, cosmetic companies, and improve
scientific studies. Don Ingber is the founding director of the Wyss Institute and he believes that soon there will be organ chips that replicate the whole human body including all the organs, organ systems, blood cells, and bones. Testing on animals is not needed and should not be continued.
Although many people believe that testing on animals is the only way to ensure that products are safe, there are many alternatives. Some cruelty free companies are Lush, Bath and Body Works, and E.L.F. These companies use methods that are not only more humane, but are also cheaper, faster, and more relevant to humans. Just because the product does not effect the animal, does not mean it will be the same with a human. Harvard’s Wyss Institute created “organs-on-chips”. They contain human cells that mimic the structure and function of human organs. The chips have a more accurate response to medicines and other consumer products. According to Geraldine Hamilton, a senior staff scientist at the Wyss institute, “One of the things that the pharmaceutical industry is finding is that they’re having very high failure rates, and often it’s because the animal models being used to develop these drugs are not predictive of the human situation”. Another harmless method that can be used to test products is fake skin made up of human skin cells. The company PETA stated that MatTek’s Epiderm Tissue Model is a “… 3-dimensional, human cell–derived skin model that replicates key traits of normal human skin”. It is extremely similar to human skin, therefore has a much more reliable reaction to medicines and cosmetics.
Some people believe that using animals to test different products is cheaper and more reliable than using technology. Dan Huh, a technological developer, stated, “It’s very expensive to preform animal studies, and time consuming”. He also claims, “…the beauty of this technology is it’s so easy and straightforward, that a lot of people can use it without getting trained”. This means that biologists, clinicians, and chemists do not have to have a background in engineering to use the technology. Geraldine Hamilton also believes that using technology is more cost efficient. She stated, “Much cheaper than using animal models…You need very little compound…”. Since the technology replicating human organs is so small, medicine can be tested in much smaller amounts. Since the animals that are tested on do not have the same genetic makeup as we do, we cannot be sure that just because it is safe with an animal it is safe for our use. For example, medicine that is safe for us is unsafe for other animals. Aspirin kills cats and causes many health issues with other animals. Also morphine, which is a depressant to us, is a stimulant for cats and goats. This shows that medicine effects animals and humans differently. Animals are not reliable in the testing of medicine.
Animal testing is not needed and it is extremely cruel. Replacing animal models with technology will majorly benefit the pharmaceutical industry, cosmetic companies, and improve
scientific studies. Don Ingber is the founding director of the Wyss Institute and he believes that soon there will be organ chips that replicate the whole human body including all the organs, organ systems, blood cells, and bones. Testing on animals is not needed and should not be continued.