Responsible research with animals
On October 10th FENS (Federation of European Neuroscience Societies) and SfN (Society for Neurosciencence) have published a joint statement on the importance of non-human primates in biomedical research. The societies, representing at least 40 000 members in 90 countries of the world, state that research with animal models is vital and irreplaceable for scientific progress and essential in fighting neurologic and psychiatric diseases which affect more than 1 billion people worldwide. Such research has already produced effective therapies for cancer, coronary diseases, HIV, Parkinson or paraplegia.
The two societies strongly object to the threats animal rights extremists bring forward against scientists and the deliberate misrepresentation of the methods and benefits of animal research, promoted by illegaly produced images. Recently such illegaly recorded pictures were broadcasted in German television to give the impression of systematic abuse of animals in research.
The two neuroscience societies stress that research with animals has to be conducted with the utmost awareness of the responsibility in order to reduce the suffering of the animals to the highest possible degree. They point out that scientists, while working for scientific progress, also strive to find alternative research methods and to reduce the number of animals in experiments.