Animal research saves human lives

A recent column (Dec. 19) denouncing the significance of biomedical research that uses animals and encouraging the University of Montana to abandon such projects was grossly misleading with respect to the true need and value of animals in research, including their treatment and care. Further, the claim that faculty at UM (or any other research university) conduct research with mice, rats and pigs based solely on the goal of garnering grant dollars from the National Institutes of Health and not upon years of successful scientific discovery-based improvements in human health is without evidence and, fundamentally, absurd. NIH policy: “All animals used in federally funded research are protected by laws, regulations and policies to ensure the smallest possible number of subjects and the greatest commitment to their welfare.” Pronouncing that research with animals has not played a critical role in countless medical breakthroughs and reduced the suffering of millions of patients simply ignores the facts. As the aforementioned column specifically focused on pigs, it is worth considering just a few of the medical advances that emerged from studies with this species. The development of CAT scans relied on the use of pigs, owing to anatomical similarities to the human brain and spinal cord. Immunotherapies, such as vaccines, are commonly validated in pigs because their immune system so closely resembles that of humans. Before it was synthetically produced, pigs were the primary source of insulin for treating diabetes, and bioprosthetic heart valves from pigs (or cows) have been transplanted into thousands of patients with heart disease. The first tissue-engineered, stem cell-based whole organ transplant of a trachea relied upon preclinical studies in pigs. The list goes on and on.