How Biomedical Research Using Animals Has Benefitted a Pet, Me, or Someone I Know by  K.C., Fountain Hills High School

The Effects of Biomedical Research: Going Beyond Personal by Jessica, Skyline High School

How Biomedical Research Using Animals Has Benefitted a Pet, Me, or Someone I Know

By K.C., Fountain Hills High School, Fountain Hills, AZ

I had always believed that animal research and testing was the scientist pouring chemicals on a rabbit’s eyes. I was originally against animal testing because of this stereotype that was broadcast by animal lovers. Many people believe that animal research is cruel and unusual punishment for the animals involved. To boast sales with animals lovers, some stores sell lotions and perfumes that advertise that there was no animal testing during manufacturing. This is a deceptive practice because all compounds in cosmetics have been tested, at some point, on animals, if not by the direct manufacturer. I now realize what a great tool animal research is and how it saves lives, everyday.

For instance, right before Christmas Eve in 1999 my mother found out that she had developed cancer in her left breast. This cancer was classified as stage two, because eight of 16 anterior lymph nodes that were removed had tested positive for cancerous cells. This changed not only my mom’s life but also the lives of myself and the rest of the family. We had to deal with a family member who had been diagnosed with a disease that has killed more people than World War II, Vietnam, Korea, and the Gulf war combined. After undergoing removal of both breasts and several lymph nodes, my mom got ready for the two harsh rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, which were intended to destroy any remaining cancerous cells. Then my mom, who is normally full of life started losing her hair and became so weak she could not even prepare a meal for our family. Now, my mom has resumed her job at the school and although she still limps from the bone damage caused by the chemotherapy, she is alive. I cannot sufficiently express my gratitude to the researchers, doctors, and animals that made these treatments possible.

Without a doubt in my mind, the chemotherapy and the radiation saved my mom’s life. Without pharmaceutical companies performing drug trials on animals, there would be no chemotherapy to help my mom or someone else’s loved ones. Or, without places like Mayo Clinic testing new surgical procedures and therapies on animals, there would be no mastectomy to remove the cancerous sections.  For example, Sandra Gendler, at Mayo Clinic, is studying the MUC1 protein and how it behaves in cancerous cells versus non-cancerous cells. Her lab uses mice because the MUC1 protein is always turned on, but it only turns on in human cancerous cells. Dr. Gendler and her associates have and will contribute to our knowledge about cancer and our ability to fight it.

Scientists have an idea what a drug will do before it is used in people, but there is only one way to find out its ultimate effects in living systems before human trials, and that is animal experimentation. It also is valuable in finding out what the proper dosage is and also the short and long-tem side effects. After rigorous testing in animals, drugs may then move to human trials more effectively.

The chemotherapy was very rough on my mom, but she took it one day at a time and got through it. The radiation was even worse than the chemotherapy because of the physical effects like the dry, painfully sore skin. Nevertheless, before my mother could have ever undergone radiation treatments, it was tested on animals. Although it is hard to test or sacrifice animals for medical research, I would rather see that than the loss of my mother.

My grandfather has also been impacted by biomedical research and the use of animals. He has Parkinson-like shaking and without his medication, it is uncontrollable. It hurts me the most on holidays when I receive a card from him and he can only write half the message before his shaking gets too bad and my grandma has to finish. Every medication he takes was, at some point, tested on animals. Especially since he takes powerful drugs and the possible side effects of these drugs required much study before being prescribed to patients because of their potency. Now, he can sit and read the newspaper with his morning cup of coffee without shaking so badly that it sloshes out of the cup. My mind is eased knowing that my grandfather can enjoy his life and not feel as frustrated.

In conclusion, biomedical research using animals has saved the life of my mother and improved the quality of life for my grandfather. I have always wanted to be in medicine and even more so because of these reasons. To be able to heal is a powerful tool, and I want that power to help ease some of the pain that some people who live with a health condition feel everyday. I feel that this internship can show me how truly powerful medicine is and what an essential part animal research plays in medicine. I have had my life greatly impacted by the use of animals, because now my mom can experience my life’s joys an accomplishments. Moreover, I have to wonder how many millions more people in the world have had their lives changed as mine has. On the other hand, how many lives could I save by suing animal research in my medical career?

Follow Up Essay by KC, Internship completed at Mayo Clinic Scottsdale

For my summer internship through Southwest Association for Education in Biomedical Research (SwAEBR), I worked in a research lab at Mayo Clinic Scottsdale in the Johnson Medical Research Building. The goal of the internship was to give me the chance to see what role animals play in biomedical research.

I worked with a gynecologist who was doing his one-year research fellowship. The goal of his study was to prevent the adhesions, or sticking together, of the abdominal organs following gynecological surgery. This study seeks to use an adenovirus to produce hyaluronic acid to prevent the adhesions in the abdominal cavity. I assisted a senior research technologist with some of the in vitro studies, like the culturing and amplification of the virus. I also tested the newborn mice to see if they contained a segment of DNA from a transgenic line of mice. We had to check each individual mouse to see if it was positive or negative for the gene.

I had a chance to observe what the Transgenic Core does in animal research. They are able to change the genetic structure of a mouse by adding a DNA sequence to a fertilized embryo. It was neat to see how they inject the DNA into the egg under a microscope. Then they implant the egg in to a pseudopregnant female mouse. I never knew that they are also able to preserve the embryos of mice in liquid nitrogen for years, and then thaw them to implant them in the uterus of a female mouse. The mouse will then give birth of these mice and nurture them as though they are her own.

On certain days I had the chance to work with the cardiology lab in their studies of the heart. Using a dog as a human model, they would simulate a heart attack. Then they would take different ultrasound images of the heart to test its performance before, during, and after the heart attack. This project could one day save the lives of people that are having heart attacks. On another project, they wanted to investigate the normal heart rate for a mouse. There had never been any research on the baseline heart rate patterns for a mouse. I had no idea that a mouse’s heart rate could range from just over two hundred beats per minute to over eight hundred beats per minute. This data could be very valuable to researchers all over the world who use mice as an animal model.

This was the first chance to see how animals are used in research. Now, I understand that these animals have given researchers a powerful tool to test and simulate diseases. These animals receive the best care that is possible from highly trained animal care technicians. Only the smallest amount of animals needed are used. If a procedure is required, they are put under anesthesia to eliminate any chance of pain and suffering to the animal. In addition, pain medications are given following any extensive procedures to ensure their well being.

I am happy to say that this internship gave me the chance to see exactly how animals are used in research. Many lives could be saved by this type of research using animals. Now with this understanding of animal research, I would like to continue working in this field and perform either basic or clinical research after I receive my medical degree. I could later with my medical degree, help save lives by testing and perfecting new procedures on animals before they are used on humans.

By Jessica, Skyline High School, Mesa, AZ

Biomedical research has affected my life and the lives of those I love in so many ways. Virtually all medical knowledge and treatments, certainly those of the last century, can be attributed to the use of animals in the research lab. New drugs and new procedures must be first tested in living systems to see if they will work. This is because of the fact that more than 90% of the compounds that have worked in a test tube have failed the toxicity testing in a live animal. Often when we seek the help of vaccines, medications or surgery when we are in need of them; we never ask ourselves how these things are possible.

Without biomedical research, I would probably have cerebral palsy. This is because approximately 7,500 newborn children born with jaundice each year (as I was) would have developed cerebral palsy, now preventable through photo therapy. My grandfather who suffers from insulin-dependent diabetes probably would not be alive today, if it weren’t for the research that developed the current treatments for diabetes. Miraculous things are occurring so frequently now in the field of biomedical research that it would take a few full time jobs to keep up with them all.

One study that is particularly close to my heart is in the field of neurology; more specifically, Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, there are approximately 4,000,000 people in America alone dealing with this disease. Up until last May, my grandmother was one of those people. Alzheimer’s killed her, and at the rate that Alzheimer’s is beginning to affect the elderly; she will soon be just one of a rapidly growing statistic. If the current population trend continues to raise the life expectancy and no cure for this disease is found, the number of people with Alzheimer’s disease could conceivably double every twenty years.

Fortunately, researches are seeking ways to battle this terrible and heartbreaking way to die. Some studies have suggested that the neural stem cells transplanted into the brain can migrate throughout the brain and develop into other types of cells. (1) "While previous research has shown that bone marrow cells can develop into neuron-like cells in culture, the new studies are the first to show that this process can also happen in living animals...In the first study, NINDS investigator Eva Mezey, M.D., Ph.D. and colleagues injected bone marrow cells from normal male mice into newborn female mice that had no white blood cells of their own. Using marrow from male mice allowed the researchers to use the Y chromosomes in the transplanted cells as a marker to distinguish them from native cells." Within just four months after transplants, they found many of the neuronal cells in several brain regions. This may suggest that stem cells from different parts of the body can enter the brain and differentiate into neuronal cells. These studies also suggest that bone marrow could be used as a source of neurons to replace those lost or damaged by neurological disorders. With genetic engineering, it may also be possible to engineer cells in ways that they would be more likely to survive and work beneficially.

(2) "In a study published in 1999, one team of researchers announced that they had tested a vaccine, known as AN1792, on groups of mice genetically programmed to develop amyloid plaques in their brains..." The greatest hope for the vaccine is that is will eventually be useful for preventing Alzheimer’s disease, but we would be thrilled if it delayed the worsening of symptoms," says David Knopman, M.D., neurologist at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn...Researchers found strong evidence to indicate that the vaccine prevented the formation of plaques in genetically programmed mice injected at an early age. [Also,] the older mice injected with the vaccine appeared to actually have a reduction in the number of plaques in their brain."

Finally, we must keep in mind that in the first study, the neuronal cells used were those from an adult male. In this study, it would also be possible to use the patient’s own bone marrow. This hasn’t been done, because researchers cannot trace the cells without using cross-sex cells. But, in the future bone marrow cells may be taken from the patient’s own body, and thus, the cells would not be rejected by the body’s immune system.

This research is just a beginning of the light on the path that researchers are forming. They are treading new territory everyday. So many lives are being saved, and made easier by the effort and care that researchers put into their work. It would be an honor to be able to work with someone who has changed or will change the lives of so many people and animals alike.

(1) Mezey, E., Chandross K. J., et al. "Turning Blood into Brain: Cells Bearing Neuronal Antigens Generated in Vivo from Bone Marrow." Science, Vol. 290, December 1, 2000, pp. 1779-1782.

(2) Knopman, David, M.D., Mayo Clinic web page: Alzheimer’s research, ©2001 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER)

Follow Up Essay by Jessica, Internship completed at Mayo Clinic Scottsdale

Initially, when I wrote my essay for SwAEBR I was interested in the psychological sciences far more than the science of biomedical research. While I had an understanding of the field, I could not have possibly imagined all that it encompasses. Publicly, we only seem to hear about the inhumane treatment of animals. Although I was well aware of the true nature of biomedical research, I had never really experienced it hands on. But, here at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale I was given the once in a lifetime opportunity to see exactly what this field is all about first-hand.

The internship began for me in the midst of self-confidence, which soon became fear of incompetence. The first few days, I was humbled beyond belief at the overwhelming amount of knowledge that the men and women in this building possess. I had no idea what I had just gotten myself into, and yet I enjoyed every minute of the high paced stress of having so much knowledge thrown at me so rapidly. For the first time, I really felt like I had someone challenging me to the fullest extent.

Soon after those first few days passed, I began to get oriented with my surroundings and I was able to begin doing more and more on my own. I was quickly introduced to the principles and practices of the field, as well as those at the Mayo Clinic. The knowledge of the humane treatment of the animals, and the need for these animals in the research field became more than the knowledge of regulations and laws that all researchers must follow. It instead became part of my day-to-day routine here at Mayo.

Primarily, we work with mice here for the research that is being conducted, but I was aware of a few other animals as well. For instance, there are a few rats, and hamsters as well as dogs here for the research. Each of these animals are given the best of care. It was incredible to see the things that are done to ensure their health and well being aside from anything other than the specific illness necessary for the experiment being conducted. Only those animals that are absolutely necessary to fulfill the objectives of the principle investigators are used, thus ensuring that we don’t have unnecessary repetition. All research necessary is conducted with minimal pain to the animal, and each animal is under anesthesia when any procedures that may be considered painful are done. The practices and procedures that are conducted are carried out in a routine manner to ensure that the best care is always given to these animals.

While we give the best care possible to these animals, there are times where an open cavity procedure is necessary. For instance, in the course of my internship here at Mayo, I was able to perform surgery on a few of the mice that otherwise would have been euthanized. For the surgical procedure, the mouse was placed under anesthesia and I injected live, fertilized embryos into the oviduct of a pseudopregnant female. It is incredibly rewarding to see mice pups born just three weeks later, knowing that you injected those embryos into the mother.

Working in the Transgenic Core was an incredible learning experience every day. Aside from the surgical procedures, I was also taught all of the basics of murine husbandry and each of the steps involved in the making of transgenic mice. To actually have a chance to observe the injection of DNA into the single-cell embryo and see that embryo become a full-grown mouse only weeks later is an intensely inspiring experience. Although it makes sense, one of the more interesting tidbits I learned while working with the mice is the procedure for making pseudopregnent females. Rather than making things complicated and invasive we just mate the females with vasectomized males, and the female’s bodies then believe that they are pregnant until we can inject live embryos into their oviduct the following day.

Aside from working in the Transgenic Core, I also was able to observe a few cardiovascular procedures on a dog. The final procedure was an incredible experience to observe. Never before, had I been so fortunate to see the heart of a live animal beating in the open cavity. Also, although I had seen ultrasonic images before, it was nothing like this. You could actually see the valves of the heart opening and closing one a TV monitor.

As well as learning things related to biomedical research, this internship gave me the opportunity to learn a thing or two about myself. I became far more aware of my interests in this field and after the initial fear of incompetence, I actually became more self-confident. As  I mentioned, I’d never been challenged like this before. I had no idea that I’d be able to learn so much in such a short time.

As the kind of person who seeks challenges, this has definitely been something I have enjoyed immensely. Never once was I able to become bored; I loved it! I’d like to thank SwAEBR, the Mayo Clinic, Suresh, and especially Stephanie for giving me such an opportunity. Without the support of Suresh and Stephanie, as well as the training from Stephanie, this summer would not have been possible. This internship has certainly been something I will never forget.

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