Running Head: Future of Animal Testing 1

Future of Animal Testing

Lauren Smith

Arizona State University

Future of Animal Testing 2

Abstract

In this essay it will talk about what the future of animal testing could possibly end up becoming.

By having advanced technology there have been new alternatives that have been discovered that

may be able to end animal testing. More research must be done to fully understand the effects of

these alternatives. There are many different perspectives on this issue that will be discussed how

they contribute information about the topic.

Keywords: Animal testing, alternatives, research

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Future of Animal Testing

Animal testing has been performed around the world for centuries to learn how

certain products may affect humans, but there has not been a significant amount of research of

other alternatives to animal testing. Many people are against animal testing, whether it be for

cosmetics or for everyday household item testing due to their ethical beliefs. With the newly

advanced technology we now have there are now several alternatives to conduct these tests

without harming animals. My proposition is to do more tests with these alternatives to find out if

they work just as well as animal testing or even better. Every year thousands of animals die due

to these tests performed on them, there is advance technology that can change the outcome of

how many lives are lost, animal activists groups even fund these new tests in order to help save

lives of innocent animals. By doing more research on these new tests it will be able to save lives,

learn if these tests are more accurate than the tests performed on animals and possibly even

change how tests are done in the future of chemical studies and cosmetic studies.

Animal testing has not only been around since the more recent cosmetic tests, there have

been tests performed on animals from early on scientists. “Animals have been used repeatedly

throughout the history of biomedical research. Early Greek physician-scientists, such as

Aristotle, (384 – 322 BC) and Erasistratus, (304 – 258 BC), performed experiments on living

animals.” (Hajar, 2011). The animals used with these early scientists were to help understand the

human body and what may cause harm to humans. By testing on animals for an extended amount

of time it shows that we as humans understand how these experiments affect humans, but it has

also taught us animals do not always react in the way humans would. Just like scientists such as

Aristotle, there have been scientists just recently finding innovative way to perform these tests
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without causing any harm to living animals. “As an in vitro alternative to the rabbit test for skin

irritation and corrosion (OECD TG 404), this model is now accepted worldwide. In addition,

these models are very useful for the prediction of skin absorption and penetration of chemicals

and pharmaceuticals (Schafer-Korting et al. 2008)” (Liebsch, 20110). The alternate vitro tests

help researchers understand what will actually happen when products are used on humans,

without harming animals or humans. Since animals and humans are very different, the reactions

that occur in animals are also different than what would occur for humans therefore making these

tests an inaccurate form of learning how products will affect those who use them. Since these

vitro tests are still new alternatives there is still more research and testing to be done to find out

if this alternative is more effective than the animal testing that has been going on for centuries.

Because these testing alternatives are still new, finding ways to fund the program is half of the

battle.

By moving away from traditional animal testing and towards the newer alternatives it

saves companies time and money. One prominent perspective on this issue comes from PETA,

People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, they are activists for animal rights and suggests that

animals should not be tested on or harmed for whatever the reason may be. PETA states “PETA

and its affiliates fund the development of many of these non-animal methods, vigorously

promote their use to governments and companies around the world, and publish research on their

superiority to traditional animal tests.”(2015). By funding companies to do alternative tests for

products it promotes the chance of less animals being harmed in the process, while still learning

how different products will affect humans. Most companies goals are to find ways to save money

so they can have a bigger profit in the end, since many organizations, such as PETA, fund new

alternatives the companies would profit even more since the innovative testing methods are
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funded by an outside source. Another perspective on the issue is that from the companies who

choose to test products on animals. When the conversation of beauty companies, such as NARS

Cosmetics that was once vegan then turned to animal-cruelty, many of the consumers

completely boycotted the company for their decision (Young, 2017). This company actually

experienced what happens to the company once they started experimenting on animals. Even

though they lost many buyers due to the controversy the company has chosen to now test on

animals so they could sell the products in China where animal testing is mandatory. By having

organizations fund the testing alternatives it benefits the companies by saving money for not

doing animal tests, and would also increase sales of vegan products.

Another perspective is from that of scientists performing tests, the scientists’ perspective

is more neutral than the others since they are just trying to see the results of the tests. Animal

research has been used to help learn about how products may affect humans but the researchers

are not looking at how it affects animals in the long run. “A total of about 12.1 million animals

have been used in the 25 member states of the EU, according to a report of the European

Commission from November 2007” (Liebsch, 2011). The scientists performing these tests

although yes, they do look at how the animals are harmed, they are looking from a view as to

how the results would be projected to humans. Due to how harmful the chemicals used on the

animals are many of those used end up dying after tests are performed. Since animal cruelty tests

are not a direct example of what will happen when the products are used on humans, many of

these animals are dying for reasons that are not even relevant to the effects on humans.

In my research I will look at why animal testing is done and how it began. My research

method is to find reliable website sources such as scientific articles for this issue and to find out

when animal testing can be switched out for different alternatives. The research will be using
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information from around the world but I hope to find information based in the United States

since it is a more generalized area of study. Some search terms that will be used are: Animal

testing alternatives, vegan products versus animal tested products, do consumers prefer vegan

products, and effects of animal testing. The questions that will be asked are:

 What are the alternatives for animal testing?

 How accurate are the alternatives?

 How long have these new alternatives been around?

 Are there benefits to animal testing?

 Do vegan products work just as well or even better than animal tested products?

This has now become such an important topic because so many people are trying to

become vegan, but by doing so that also includes products used in everyday life not just the

foods consumed. Animal lives and the effectiveness of testing is ultimately at stake once this

issue is brought up. Learning the long term effects of new research studies is imperative before

you can recommend the study as being accurate to others to perform and to sell the products to

the public. By putting more research into the new alternatives instead of animal testing such as

vitro tests, it would help researchers be aware of other ways to learn how products will actually

affect humans. By having the funds for research from outside organizations, it makes testing

more accessible to the companies while still learning of the results of their products. Testing

should be done in a safe matter, if it harms the animals there should be research done to find

ways to stop harming animals. Since alternatives are still so new I believe that there should be

more research done to find out if these alternatives are a good solution to end animal testing for

good.
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References

Alternatives to Animal Testing. (2015). Retrieved January 22, 2018, from

https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-experimentation/alternatives-animal-

testing/

Hajar, R. (2011, January). Animal Testing and Medicine. Retrieved February 1, 2018, from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3123518/

Liebsch, M. (2011, May 24). Alternatives to animal testing: current status and future

perspectives. Retrieved January 28, 2018, from

http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=

9abb83ed-de3b-402b-9e9e-192abd4fec4c%40sessionmgr4008

Young, S. (2017, June 29). Nars Cosmetics boycotted by consumers as it announces it's no

longer a cruelty-free brand. Retrieved January 22, 2018, from

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/nars-cosmetics-boycott-cruelty-free-

brand-no-longer-consumers-chinese-market-china-animal-a7814466.html