February 2000 News

ANZCCART Publishes Statement on Use of Transgenic Animals

February 7, 2000

Following on the heels of international discussion and debate about the production and use of transgenic animals for research, the Australian and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching (ANZCCART) has published a position statement on the ethical and welfare issues involved.

The paper, published in the fall edition of ANZCCART News, discusses both the downfalls and opportunities related to the use of transgenic animals from an animal welfare perspective. (Transgenic animals are animals created by the insertion of genetic material from another species into an embryo or by the deletion of some of its native genetic material. Typically, a transgenic mouse is created that carries human genetic material that will "express," or exhibit, a particular human trait, disease, or biological process.) It notes, for example, that while production of these animals can lead to pain, distress, and the death of animals, transgenic animals also hold out the possibility of substituting rodents for higher mammals such as non-human primates or collecting more data using fewer animals.

The paper also describes in detail the requirements for the care and use of transgenic animals, as established in the Australian Code of Practice. The requirements, similar to those being adopted in other countries, call for frequent monitoring and measures to diminish pain and distress whenever possible.

Full-text of the paper, as well as a detailed discussion of the practical issues related to the use of transgenic rodents, are available on the ANZCCART website here.