Trull Animal Testing

In the article, “Animal Testing and Its Gifts to Humans,” Frankie Trull claims through pathos that the use of animal research is a necessity for the creation of new treatments. Trull opens by saying that animal research has provided another new treatment that is saving lives. He highlights that there is a new treatment in result of animal testing and opens his argument in contest of this treatment to establish a form of pathos. Through medical research animal models are indispensable and play a key role in creating treatments. Trull highlights another major breakthrough cure for Ebola that originated through animal research. Next, Trull presents a study ran by Duke University that relied heavily on animal research. He reports that due to

the animal testing they lead to a breakthrough brain tumor treatment. Furthermore, Trull notes that animal models have provided crucial for the Duke research team. He then emphasizes studies that laid the groundwork for the breakthrough treatment. In addition, he states that Universities had been using animal research for many years resulting in more and more treatments; like a treatment for restoring vision was pioneered from animal research while the greatest treatments lie in the future. Trull asserts that critics keep attacking animal research and have succeeded in some ways making research more expensive. Finally, Trull argues against the activists calling for the elimination of animal studies. He frames his argument through the lives that have been saved through the animal research.

According to Trull, “The brain-tumor treatment developed at Duke is a re-engineered polio virus.

The new virus designed by researchers helps the body's immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. As in countless other revolutionary therapies, animal research played an invaluable role in creating this treatment.” Bassically, Trull is saying that due to animal testing in the past it has opened up a window in the present for more breakthrough treatments like the one just stated. Without the use of animal testing the curing treatment would not be in effect and the tumor would be killing about 12,000 people yearly. This is just one example of why animal testing should be

aloud.

In addition to that Trull states, “ Further proof of this came on Wednesday with news in the journal Nature that a drug to fight Ebola had showed remarkable success when tested in rhesus monkeys.” In other words, Trull believes that animal research has benefited people nation wide. Not only has it benefited the people of the United States, but any country that has the Ebola virus. This just further proves that animal testing is beneficial and can be very effective in the future in cases where worldwide diseases have taken place.

To further prove his points Trull connects the use of animal research in the restoration of the human body, “More recently, animal research has helped pave the way toward restoring vision. Last September, a Japanese woman became the first person to undergo an experimental stem-cell treatment for blindness. The procedure was deemed safe for humans after several studies involving monkeys and mice.” Trull is saying that through animal research scientist have been able to restore someone's sight. Without animal research that one women would not be able to see while setting her back in a lot of tasks. In addition to animal research and how it can improve the human body trull also presents a study showing, “In a study published last year in the journal Stem Cell Reports, scientists in France and Germany were able to regenerate damaged brain areas in mice for the first time. The discovery could lead to treatments for human brain damage caused by everything from strokes to bullet wounds.” This study has further proved Trulls point of why animal research is necessary.

Finally Trull calls for the people and activist who want to end animal testing to “look at the faces of patients in the Duke trial whose lives have been saved by these essential research techniques.” and ask themselves if they are that selfless to not care about the people of the world.

Although I agree with another writer Jeremy Rifkins to a point, I cannot accept his overall conclusion that animal testing needs to be stopped and we need to care about animals more because I don’t understand how people are able to say we need to stop animal testing and are okay with all the deaths that follow that statement. By disagreeing with his point it connects to Trulls claim that animal testing is a gift to humans and that animal testing is necessary for the creation of new treatments.

In the quote by Rifkin, he says “Studies on pigs' social behavior funded by McDonald's at Purdue University, for example, have found that they crave affection and are easily depressed if isolated or denied playtime with each other.

The lack of mental and physical stimuli can result in deterioration of health.”
While many in the world may be concerned about the mental and physical status of pigs, not all do. The research found at the Purdue University shows that just a small amount of attention each day can boost the health of the pigs. However, many of the utilitarian consumers just see the swine as strictly food. While some may say that it is costing the companies more money due to the lack of happiness and non movement of the pigs forcing the company to waste time pushing the pigs into the rooms rather than the pigs being happy and able to walk in the rooms themselves. But, in reality paying for people to stimulate and play with the pigs will cost money. Along with that point, the company will have to hire more people to play with the pigs and this wastes more money and time. I feel like this connects to animal testing at the same level because without these companies a lot of people would not be getting pork to eat and it's not just pork but many animals that are in

slaughterhouses.

I also believe that animal testing is a must, in order to create new treatments. Animal testing has brought an innumerable number of advances to medicine. The treatment of rabies and anthrax can be traced back to animals. Other medical advancements include the treatment of arthritis, whooping cough, leprosy, diphtheria, rubella, and measles.

Medication for the control of heart disease has been a collaboration of several animal tests. It began with the findings of blood circulation by William Harvey of England in 1628 with the use of dogs. Next, blood pressure was discovered by Stephen Hales in 1733 using hares. Measuring blood pressure with a mercury manometer came a century later. A French physiologist by the name of Jean Poiseuille again used dogs to accomplish it. Without these experiments, future scientists would never have been able to come up with a cure for heart disease. Many other animals have been used in the study of coronary artery disease. Rodents, cats, primates, and especially dogs have been used to practice heart surgery, study atherosclerosis (the cause of heart diseases) and strokes, and to create drugs for hypertension, heart failure, heart pain and arrhythmias, irregular heart beats. Even though the lives of the animals that undergo heart transplants are at risk, it is done for the benefit of humans to save life.

One of the greatest achievements obtained through the use of animal experimentation was the polio vaccine. One doctor, by the name of Jonas Salk set out to rid the world of polio and other viral diseases. Instead of working with patients, he set out to formulate a cure in the lab.At the cost of thousands of animal experimentations, we have rid the world of one of the worst epidemics in the history of the world, thanks to Jonas Salk.

Polio was not the only disease wiped out. Flu vaccinations were created and cures for smallpox came from animal testing. Therapeutic usage of many antibiotics, including penicillin,was conducted on animals. In medicine we owe much to these creatures. In the future, animals will be needed to test newer and more advanced viruses that have the potential to cause deadly diseases.