Ethical issues with animal biotechnology

1. USE OF ANIMAL MODELS

2. ANIMAL BIOTECHNOLOGYADVANCEMENTS
INCLUDE…
“Animal Biotechnology”
conventional
livestock
breeding
Use of
artificial
insemination
in vitro
Fertilisation
(test tube
babies)
Embryo
Transfer
(surrogacy)
Nuclear
Transfer
Performing
tests

3. WHY ARE GENETICALLY MODIFIED
ANIMALS PRODUCED?
1. To help scientists to identify, isolate and
characterize genes in order to understand
more about their function and regulation.
2. To provide research models of human
diseases, to help develop new drugs and new
strategies for repairing defective genes (“Gene
Therapy”).
3. To provide organs and tissues for use in
human transplant surgery.
4. To produce milk which contains
therapeutic proteins; or to alter the
composition of the milk to improve its
nutritional value for human infants.
5. To enhance livestock improvement
programmes.

4. WHY ARE ANIMALS USED INSTEAD OF
GENETICALLY MODIFIED MICROBES OR PLANTS?
• Scientists’ ability to move genes from, say,
a plant into a microbe, or from an animal
into a microbe, arises from the fact that all
living things share the same genetic code.
• This means that a gene generally codes for
the same sequence of amino acids (the
building blocks of proteins) whether it is
working in an animal, a plant or a microbe.
• It might be argued, therefore, that for some
applications, transgenic plants or microbes
might replace transgenic animals, so why
are animals preferred?

5. There are two main reasons,
• First, animals may be preferred because of their
closer biochemical similarity to humans.
• For example, a gene that produces the protein alpha-
1- antitrypsin can be inserted into a plant, but plants
lack the mechanism to attach carbohydrate groups to
this protein.
• So to make a useful therapeutic form of the protein,
production must be in animal cells.
• Another reason is because they can make large
amounts of product.
• For example, extracting large quantities of a
therapeutic protein from animal milk is technically
more straight forward than purifying it from the
fermentation broth of large scale fermentation
chambers of cultured plant or microbial cells.

6. UK REGULATIONS REGARDING TRANSGENIC ANIMALS
• In the UK research using transgenic animals is covered by the
same controls as those for other animal research, i.e. the
Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
• The production of transgenic animals is covered by
requirements of the Advisory Committee on Genetic
Modification (ACGM) and the Health and Safety Executive.
They require notification of the work.
• These controls derive from the Genetic Manipulation
Regulations (1989) made under the power of the Health and
Safety at Work Act 1974.

7. • If transgenic animals were to be released into the wild, prior
approval would be required from the Advisory Committee on
Releases to the Environment and the ACGM.
• The experimental use of animals in the UK is covered by Home
Office regulations.
• Under the 1986 Act, a project license is required for each piece of
research work, and a personal license is required by individuals
who carry out regulated procedures on animals.
• To obtain a license, an applicant must attend and successfully
complete an accredited training course. The Animal Procedures
Committee advises the Home Office on animal experiments under
the 1986 Act.

8. INDIAN REGULATION REGARDING
TRANSGENIC ANIMALS

10. 5 R’s
REPLACEMENT:
use of non-
animal method
REDUCTION: use
of less animals
REFINEMENT:
eliminate or
reduce distress
and pain
REHABILITATION:
proper care and
medical attention
RESPONSIBILITY:
Monitor the
animal and it’s
captive
conditions