National Antivisection Society
Infertility Research: LDF funding extended
Many animals suffer and die in fertility experiments. In May, Professor Christopher Barratt and Dr Ian Brewis at Birmingham Women’s Hospital were awarded a further grant extension for their human-based infertility projects.
A human testicular tissue bank has already been set up, and tissue samples are now available for other scientists to use, instead of animals.
This project has highlighted the superiority of human based research over animal experiments. For example, there are important differences between humans and animals, involving the mechanisms of fertility and production of sperm cells.
Dr Brewis and Professor Barratt comment: “In the very large field of reproductive medicine there is still an overwhelming obsession with performing research in animals, particularly rodents but also livestock. We believe very strongly that this is totally unjustifiable and unwarranted as there is now good evidence that there are marked differences at the cellular, molecular, tissue and whole organism level between humans and animals. Co-workers, previously stuck in the mud with their animal work, are now taking notice of human research as a result of data we are currently producing. We are pleased to report that these researchers of international recognition are now discussing the limitations of animal work and the benefits of human research and are beginning to initiate human-based projects."
Please help us end the abuse of animals, please make a donation today…
action alerts