Biotech Animals in Research: Ethical and Regulatory Aspects

Description:

This book explores central aspects of genetic modification of animals for scientific purposes in the context technological possibilities, regulatory issues in different regions, animal welfare implications and wider ethical issues exemplified through current theories and frameworks.

This discussion of lab animals produced through modern biotechnologies becomes increasingly pressing as CRISPR-Cas9 technology advances rapidly, challenging legal and ethical frameworks all over the world. Such animals are now affordable and readily available to almost every branch of scientific research. This not only raises enormous potential for creating ‘tailored’ models for human diseases but also rubs up against the traditional guiding principles (the 3Rs) for the humane use of animals for scientific experiments and raises wider ethical issues around death, integrity and naturalness. In this book, expert authors from diverse backgrounds in laboratory animal care, animal research, technology and animal rights explore a range of topics, from the science behind biotech research animals and the regulation of their use, to utilitarian, animal rights, virtue ethics and ethics of care, and critical animal studiers’ perspectives on the use of these technologies.

Whatever your background or role in animal research, this book will challenge and stimulate deeper consideration of the benefits, disadvantages and ethical consequences of the use of biotechnology in the animal laboratory.

Table of contents :

Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Authors
Contributors
1 Introduction
1.1 Ethical Concerns Related to GM Animals
1.2 A Brief Historical Overview
1.3 The Relevance of the Subject
1.4 Tips for Reading
References
2 The Science Behind GM Research Animals
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Technologies
2.2.1 Success Rates
2.3 Relevance of Research Animals
2.4 Possibilities in the Future
References
3 An Overview of the Regulation of Genetically Altered Animals in Research
3.1 Introduction
3.2 What is an Animal?
3.3 What Does “Modified/Altered” Mean?
3.4 What is “Research”?
3.5 Governance Versus Regulation
3.6 The Special Case of Non-Human Primates
3.7 Compendium of the Laws, Regulations, and Standards Pertaining
to Research Involving Genetically Modified Animals
3.7.1 Europe
3.7.1.1 The European Union (EU)
3.7.1.2 Great Britain (GB)/United Kingdom (UK)
3.7.2 Israel
3.7.3 North America
3.7.3.1 Canada
3.7.3.2 United States of America (US)
3.7.3.3 Mexico
3.7.4 South America
3.7.4.1 Argentina
3.7.4.2 Brazil
3.7.4.3 Chile
3.7.5 Asia and South Asia
3.7.5.1 Japan
3.7.5.2 China
3.7.5.3 South Korea
3.7.5.4 India
3.7.6 Oceania
3.7.6.1 Australia
3.7.6.2 New Zealand
3.7.6.3 Singapore
3.7.6.4 Malaysia
3.8 Conclusions
Notes
References
4 Welfare and 3Rs
4.1 Introduction
4.2 What is Animal Welfare?
4.2.1 The Functioning-Based Paradigm
4.2.2 The Feelings-Based Paradigm
4.2.3 The Natural-Living Paradigm
4.2.4 Integration of the Paradigms
4.3 Applied Frameworks for Animal Welfare
4.3.1 Animal Welfare in Laboratory Animal Science: The 3Rs
4.3.2 Perspectives of the 3Rs, Animal Welfare and GM
4.3.3 Refinement: Contingent vs. Deliberately Induced Suffering
4.3.4 Could GM Help Refine and Improve Animal Welfare?
4.3.5 Will GM Result in Reduction?
4.3.6 Will GM Result in Replacement?
4.4 The Three Cases
4.5 Conclusion: Ethical and Epistemological Perspectives
References
5 Beyond Welfare
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Ethics as Critical and Systematic Reflection
5.3 Normative Ethical Theories
5.4 Who is of Ethical Importance?
5.5 Is Welfare All That Matters?
5.6 Does the Death of Animals Matter?
5.6.1 Death as a Welfare Issue: The Experience of the Animal
5.6.2 Death as a Welfare Issue Disregarding the Experiences
of the Animal During the Process
5.6.3 Death as an Ethical Issue Disregarding the Experiences of the Animal During the Process, Albeit Not a Welfare Issue
5.6.4 Closing Remarks
5.7 Do Animals Have Integrity?
5.7.1 The Difference Between Naturally Occurring and Human-Induced Changes
5.7.2 Integrity as a ‘More-or-Less’ Concept
5.7.3 But where is Integrity Situated?
5.7.4 Closing Remarks
5.8 So… Where Does This Leave Us?
References
6 A Utilitarian Perspective on Animal Experimentation Involving Genetic Modification
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Ethics and Moral Theories
6.3 Utilitarianism
6.4 Evaluating the Cases
6.5 Conclusion
References
7 Animal Rights View
7.1 Definition: Animal Rights View
7.2 Background and Content
7.3 Case Studies: Animal Rights Evaluation
7.3.1 Are the Research Animals Involved Sentient Creatures?
7.3.2 How are the Rights of the Involved Sentient Animals Affected?
7.3.3 Exceptions and Other Arguments to Justify Animal Rights Violations
7.4 The Animal Rights View and the Morality of Breeding Animals
7.5 Conclusion and Outlook
Notes
References
8 The Virtues and Vices of Germline Editing Research
8.1 Virtue Ethics
8.2 Virtue Ethics and Animal Experimentation
8.3 Virtues, Vices, and Gene-Edited Mice and Mosaicism
8.4 Virtues, Vices, Gene-Edited Zebrafish, and Heterotaxy
8.5 Virtues, Vices, Gene-Edited Monkeys, and Duchenne’s Muscle Dystrophy
8.6 Shared Moral and Intellectual Vices
References
9 An Ethic of Care Critique of Induced Genetic Mutation in Animals
9.1 Ethics of Care
9.2 Gene-Editing Mice to Induce Albinism
9.3 Gene-Editing Zebrafish to Rearrange Their Internal Organs (Heterotaxy)
9.4 Gene-Editing to Induce Muscular Dystrophy in Rhesus Monkeys
References
10 The Privileged Ones
Notes
References
11 The Ethical Assessment Process
11.1 Introduction: Ethical Review and GM
11.1.1 Different Structures of Animal Ethics Committees
11.1.2 Requirements and Challenges Regarding the Ethical Review
11.2 The Review Process: The Harm-Benefit Analysis (HBA)
11.2.1 Models of Harm-Benefit Analysis
11.3 Who Participates in the Ethical Review on Animal Research?
11.4 Conclusions and Implications
References
Appendix
Index