Quck answer
Chimpanzees are often used in medical research due to their close genetic similarity to humans. However, this practice has become increasingly controversial due to ethical concerns and the availability of alternative research methods. In 2015, the US National Institutes of Health announced it would no longer fund research on chimpanzees and retired over 300 of them to sanctuaries. Other countries, such as the UK, have also banned or limited the use of chimpanzees in research. Chimpanzees used in research may experience physical and psychological harm, but efforts are being made to improve their welfare and find alternatives to using them in experiments.
Wild Animals
The use of chimpanzees in research has sparked controversy due to their genetic similarity and human-like traits.
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If chimps could choose where to live, Spain might be a top pick. The country’s parliament voted in June 2008 to support the Great Ape Project, which advocates for the protection of great apes’ right to life, individual liberty, and freedom from torture. Once the Spanish government enacts this decision into law, great apes like chimpanzees cannot be held captive for medical testing or in circuses [source: O’Carroll].
The ethical treatment of animals in scientific experimentation has been a concern for centuries. Philosopher Jeremy Bentham questioned if animals experience suffering in 1789, and Great Britain passed its first anti-cruelty law in 1822 [source: Anderson et al]. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was founded in 1866.
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Chimpanzees have raised particular controversy due to their close genetic relationship to humans. Proponents of animal testing view chimps as ideal “human models” for finding cures to human diseases. However, opponents argue that testing and captive research are cruel forms of punishment due to chimps’ human-like traits.
Chimpanzee research began in the United States in the 1920s with psychobiologist Robert M. Yerkes, who wanted to study non-human primate behavior due to their genetic similarity to humans. Yerkes’ research focused on observing the behavioral and reproductive practices of apes in his primate colony in Orange Park, Florida, which was sponsored by Yale University [source: Yerkes National Primate Research Center].
In the 1940s, the research at Yerkes Primate Research Center shifted from behavioral to biomedical studies, which marked the beginning of chimpanzee medical testing.
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Chimpanzees as Test Subjects
Ham, the astrochimp, after his space flight in 1961.
Tim Morse/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Scientists selected chimpanzees as test subjects for infectious diseases with the goal of finding cures or vaccines. For instance, the National Institutes of Health attributes ape testing to the discovery of the polio vaccine [source: Strandberg].
During the space race between the United States and Russia, the Air Force (pre-NASA) obtained 65 chimps from the wild to research the effects of space on the body. These physical tests were similar to those that human astronauts go through, such as G-force simulation [source: Conlee]. One of the test chimps, named Ham, preceded Alan Shepard’s historic flight into space. However, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic would ultimately increase the number of chimps used as test subjects in the United States.
Chimpanzees are a species at risk of extinction and are found in Africa. Researchers did not have easy access to chimpanzees for research unlike mice or dogs. Instead, they had to import them from the wild, similar to the Air Force’s space program testing. However, when the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) was agreed upon in 1975, wild chimpanzee imports were limited. For chimpanzees already in the United States for research, the Animal Welfare Act of 1966 set the minimum care requirements for warm-blooded animals in captivity, which included nonhuman primates. The chimpanzee Biomedical Research Programs were established by the National Institutes of Health in 1986, primarily to study HIV and AIDS. The federal government oversaw a captive breeding project to obtain enough chimps for these studies without breaking CITES regulations. Although chimpanzees were the preferred choice for treatment experiments as they were the only animal that could contract HIV, the AIDS research program was largely futile. Chimpanzees rarely develop AIDS like humans do. Additionally, public opposition to animal testing had been increasing, and animal rights groups such as PETA, American Humane Association, and American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals had been galvanizing the debate about the ethics of animal testing. The use of chimpanzees in medical research was phased out in the United States and abroad by the beginning of the new millennium.
Current State of Chimpanzee Testing
In the year 2000, the United States had approximately 1,600 chimpanzees being used for biomedical testing, with around 500 of them infected with a communicable virus or disease. The Chimpanzee Health Improvement, Maintenance and Protection Act (ChiMP) was passed by Congress that same year to provide lifetime care for chimpanzees involved in federal medical research, rather than euthanizing them. This act led to the establishment of a chimpanzee sanctuary system to allow the apes to live the rest of their lives outside of cages. However, some federal and private facilities in the country continue to perform research on chimpanzees, with the New Iberia Research Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette housing the largest chimpanzee population with approximately 370 under its management. While the United States and Gabon are the only two countries that legally allow biomedical testing on chimpanzees, the frequency of such studies has declined in recent years. The National Institutes of Health announced a five-year plan in 2008 to accelerate the development of alternative testing methods to replace animal testing.
The following topics are listed in an unordered list: whether chimpanzees are evolving in the wild, if chimpanzees can learn human language, why groups like PETA oppose the Iditarod, whether Japanese monkeys season their food, how animal shelters work, how evolution works, how gene pools work, and a primate quiz. There are also two additional unordered lists with links to websites about chimpanzees and sources related to animal experimentation. The headings and HTML tags are preserved.
FAQ
1. What is the role of chimps in medical research?
Chimps have been used in medical research for decades due to their genetic and physiological similarities to humans. They have been used to study various diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, and cancer, as well as to test the safety and effectiveness of drugs and vaccines.
2. Are chimps still used in medical research?
In the United States, the use of chimps in medical research was largely banned in 2015, with limited exceptions for research that could not be conducted in any other way. However, chimps may still be used in other countries for medical research.
3. What happens to chimps after they are used in medical research?
Chimps used in medical research may be euthanized or retired to sanctuaries. Retirement in a sanctuary is preferable, as it allows the chimps to live out their lives in a more natural environment with others of their own kind.
4. How are chimps treated in medical research?
Chimps used in medical research are subject to strict ethical guidelines and regulations to ensure their well-being. They are housed in environments that meet their physical and social needs, and they receive veterinary care and regular enrichment activities to keep them mentally stimulated.
5. What are the ethical concerns surrounding the use of chimps in medical research?
Many people believe that using chimps in medical research is unethical, as they are intelligent and social animals that can suffer physically and emotionally. Additionally, there is evidence that alternative methods of research, such as computer modeling and human cell cultures, can be just as effective.
6. Are there any alternatives to using chimps in medical research?
Yes, there are many alternatives to using chimps in medical research, including computer modeling, human cell cultures, and non-invasive imaging techniques. These methods have been shown to be just as effective, if not more so, and do not involve harming or killing animals.
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