Introduction
It is hard to disagree that animal research has provided scientists with numerous critical insights and enabled significant developments in how diseases are addressed. Although the benefits of using animals to test drugs are evident, many people are against this practice and consider it inappropriate, cruel, and unethical. At the same time, it is unlikely that animals will be entirely removed from research in the near future. If studying the ability of specific anti-viral drugs to cross the blood-brain barrier to combat latent HIV infection in the brain, I would refer to animal testing before proceeding with human research.
Importance of Research
Exploring the topic more deeply can help prove the necessity of using animals in the described studies. According to Eastman and Newbern (2020), activists suggest that modern technologies, including animal models and organs-on-chips, can replace living creatures while still yielding significant results. However, this is not entirely true because technology cannot yet provide the same informative and rich findings as animal testing does (National Institutes of Health, 2022).
Bailey (2019) states that “HIV can interact with living organisms in more ways than even the most robust simulation could ever consider” (para. 11). It is the most ethical way to test those specific anti-viral drugs on animals first and then refer to human volunteers. This approach is less harmful and more moral because “regulations governing such research in the United States reach further than those about research on humans” (Bailey, 2019, para. 10). Lastly, I believe that using animals can lead to much better results, and in the future, all living creatures will receive adequate treatment for HIV and similar conditions.
Conclusion
To conclude, animal research remains vital in the development of new medications and treatments, as well as in advancing the fields of medicine and science. Despite all the efforts of healthcare engineers, it remains impossible for technologies like organ-on-chip to replace testing on living organisms. Since U.S. laws protect animals and regulate their use in research, the practice becomes more ethical and brings numerous advantages. Therefore, animal testing should be used when studying anti-viral drugs and HIV.
References
Bailey, M. R. (2019). Animal activists are on the wrong side of the fight against AIDS. Stat News.
Eastman, Q., & Newbern, L. (2020). In animal models, a ‘shocking’ step toward a potential HIV cure. Emory University.
National Institutes of Health. (2022). Why animals are used in research.