In many of Man’s primitive societies, a witch doctor, or some religious figure was sought out when medical assistance was needed. As these primitive cultures became more civilized, philosophers formulated theories about the mechanics of the human body and introduced medicinal practice into the scientific community. Medical handbooks and textbooks helped spread ideas, which resulted from the resulting medicinal studies.

However, there was a problem with some of this research. Some of the doctor’s patients would die or become seriously ill when a new drug was administered to them. This directly violated the principles of the Hippocratic oath. Since many patients needed remedies and cures for their respective diseases, and trying new remedies could be harmful, many studies turned towards animal testing. Animal testing turned out to be very effective in testing new cures and discovering side effects, without risking any lives. Biomedical research using animal testing has directly benefited my grandmother in her fight against Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC) of the liver.

PBC is very hard to detect because the liver is a complex organ and "the liver is very uncomplaining" (The PBC Foundation, 2). The liver is the chemical factory of the body. Its main functions include: the storage, production and distribution of various nutrients required to maintain a healthy body, the production of essential substances such as glucose and proteins, the removal of toxic substances from the blood, and the breaking down of fats and other substance.

Some of the signs that can lead to the discovery of PBC are jaundice (yellowing of the skin), swelling in areas around the ankles and abdomen, prolonged bleeding and many other symptoms. PBC is caused by alcohol abuse, or other purely hereditary factors. The effects of PBC can be deadly if a matching donor cannot be found.

PBC is an "irreversible process of widespread modules in the liver combined with fibrosis [scarring of the tissue]" (Ueki T., et al, 1). Currently there are no treatments which reverse the process of cirrhosis, but one biomedical study using animal testing shows signs of slowing the scarring caused by PBC.

The study, conducted by Ueki T., et al, found that "Repeated administration of the HGF [Hepatocyte Growth Factor] gene into rat skeletal muscle tissue using a plasmid vector and a liposome delivery system led to high levels of HGF in the circulation. This inhibited the increased expression of transforming growth factor-beta-1, which plays a key role in the development of cirrhosis. It also inhibited liver fibrosis and cell death by apoptosis" (Ueki, T., et al, 1).

This shows that gene therapy has the potential to slow or even stop the scarring caused by cirrhosis; giving PBC patients much needed time in their hunt for a matching liver donor. This treatment in combination with others will allow PBC patients to survive the long wait for a donor.

Research is being conducted using biomedical research on an artificial liver that could save my grandmother’s life. This research is targeted at producing an artificial liver using pig liver cells as a model. The research group conducting these experiments, the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary in conjunction with Glasgow’s Strathclyde University is working on "an artificial liver which works in the same kind of way as dialysis machines are employed in cleaning the blood of patients with kidney disease" (The PBC Foundation, 1). This kind of equipment would be very effective in allowing patients, like my grandmother, to survive until they can receive a new liver. These studies using biomedical research are invaluable to saving PBC patients like my grandmother.

Through these studies and more to come, my grandmother can look forward to a healthier, more vivacious life without PBC. Both of these biomedical studies using animals increase the likelihood that a matching liver donor will be found in time. The artificial liver based on pig liver cells promises also to increase the quality of life for patients while they wait; giving them the functionality of a properly working liver.

Both of these biomedical studies using animals only represent one disease. Many more similar studies on gene therapy and artificial organs are being conducted for numerous diseases. The cures and replacement organs that are produced through the use of animal testing save many human lives. These benefits of biomedical research using animal testing, which can be counted in human lives, are definitely worth the experimentation and studies done on animals.

Ueki, T., et al. "Hepatocyte growth factor gene therapy of liver cirrhosis in rats." Abstract. Nature Medicine, 5:1999:226-230.

Worman, Howard J. "Diseases of the Liver Homepage." Cirrhosis. 3/9/99 http://cpmenet.columbia.edu/dept/gi/cirrhosis.html

The PBC Foundation. "Artificial Livers." 5/24/97 http://www.nhtech.demon.co.uk/pbc/research.html

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