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"[monkeys] are used only when no other species and no alternatice approach can provide the answers to questions about such conditions as Alzhemers, stroke, Parkinson's, spinal injury, hormone disorders, and vaccines for HIV"

An article by Steve Connor appeared in The Independent on 3rd June 2006.  It discussed the issue of primates, primarily apes in research - Scientists 'should be allowed to test on apes'.

Professor Colin Blakemore, Cheif Executive of the Medical Research Council is quoted in this article, espressing his views on the subject:

 "I can see no current necessity for the use of great apes, and i'm pleased that they're not being used and that every effort is being made to reduce the use of other primates. But I worry about the principle of where the moral boundaries lie. There is only one very secure defenition that can be made, and that is between our species and others,"

"Research on monkeys is, quite rightly, a particularly sensitive issue. That is why the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council, the two biggest funders of medical research in this country, have published an open account of how and why monkeys are used in some of their research. They are used only when no other species and no alternative approach can provide the answers to questions about such conditions as Alzheimer's, stroke, Parkinson's, spinal injury, hormone disorders, and vaccines for HIV. Research on great apes is banned in the UK and campaign are calling for this ban to be extended to monkeys. But there had been no research on great apes for many years. In the case of monkeys, the loss to medical progress would be enormous"

The article can be found here at the independent website:

 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/scientists-should-be-allowed-to-test-on-apes-480902.html



Last edited: 27 August 2014 06:02

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