Nuffield Council on Bioethics : The Ethics of Research involving Animals

Published: Wed, 25 May 2005

Research involving animals has been the subject of intense debate in the UK and elsewhere. Too often this debate is presented in a polarised manner, differentiating only between those ‘for’ or those ‘against’ all animal research. This is overly simplistic: there is a continuum of views between these two ends of the spectrum. This Report seeks to clarify the debate and aims to help people think through the ethical issues that are raised. The ways in which animals are used in different areas of research are reviewed, including: basic or ‘blue sky’ research, the development of new medicines and vaccines, and toxicity testing. The Report makes practical recommendations for future policy and practice, relating, among other things, to the use of GM animals, ways of improving the quality of debate, the implementation of the Three Rs (Refinement, Reduction and Replacement), and the responsibilities of researchers, reviewers and funding bodies.

Last Updated Wed, 26 April 2006

Catatan:
The terms of reference of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics are:
1. to identify and define ethical questions raised by recent advances in biological and medical research in order to respond to, and to anticipate, public concern;
2. to make arrangements for examining and reporting on such questions with a view to
promoting public understanding and discussion; this may lead, where needed, to the
formulation of new guidelines by the appropriate regulatory or other body;
3. in the light of the outcome of its work, to publish reports; and to make representations, as the Council may judge appropriate.