Kids 4 Research--Diseases





				Diseases Did you know that you, your friends and your family have all benefited from animal research? From vaccinations to prevent measles to product safety testing, the knowledge gained from animals used in research helps every single one of us daily. Without animal research, millions of people would die each year from a variety of illnesses. Thanks to research on animals, diseases such as polio have been virtually wiped out. Other illnesses, such as diabetes and arthritis, are controlled through animal research. How exactly has animal research helped you and your family? Vaccinations for polio, diphtheria, mumps, measles, rubella, pertussis, and hepatitis. Treatments for asthma, severe burns, juvenile diabetes, leukemia, newborn sickness and premature births. Prevention and treatment of birth defects. Antibiotics for a variety of bacterial infections. Microsurgery to reattach severed limbs. Remedies for childhood poisonings. Management of epilepsy, cystic fibrosis. Organ transplants. Correction of congenital heart defects. Without animal research: Polio would kill or cripple thousands of unvaccinated adults and children each year. Most of the nation’s one million insulin-dependent diabetics would be dead. More than 60 million Americans would risk death from heart attacks, strokes or kidney failure – because there would be no medicine to combat high blood pressure. Chemotherapy wouldn’t exist – and couldn’t save 70 percent of children who now survive acute lymphocytic leukemia. People disabled by strokes or spinal cord injuries could not benefit from rehabilitation techniques. More than 1 million Americans would be blind in at least one eye – there would be no surgery to correct cataracts. Newborns who develop jaundice each year would contract cerebral palsy, now preventable through phototherapy. There would be no kidney dialysis. Surgery of any type would be rare – and extremely painful – because there would be no anesthesia. Smallpox, which has been eradicated, would continue unchecked. Millions of dogs, cats, other pets and farm animals would have died from anthrax, distemper, canine parvovirus, feline leukemia, rabies and more than 200 other diseases now preventable. From the early days of biomedical research to current scientific inquiry, researchers have sought answers to diseases that plague humans and animals. Following are some of the achievements of the last century – none of which would have been possible without animal research. 1900's Cardiac catherization techniques developed. Species studied: dogs, rabbits. Treatment of rickets, a vitamin D deficiency that causes defective bone growth in infants and children. Species studied: dogs. 1920's Discovery of insulin to control diabetes. Species studied: Dogs. 1930's Development of modern anesthesia to allow artificially induced unconsciousness and local or general insensitivity to pain. Species studied: dogs. Prevention of tetanus, an infectious disease characterized by painful muscle spasms and convulsions. Species studied: horses. Development of anticoagulants, drugs that inhibit action of blood clotting factors. Species studied: cats. 1940's Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Although the cause of rheumatoid arthritis is still unknown, medications were developed to relieve pain and inflammation. Species studied: rabbits, monkeys. Discovery of the Rh factor, the ability to detect the Rh antigen in red blood cells, was a breakthrough in the immunology of pregnancy. Species studied: rhesus monkeys. Prevention of diphtheria, an acute contagious disease marked by formation of membranes in the throat and other air passages. Children now receive an inoculation to prevent the disease. Species studied: horses. Development of antibiotics to treat a variety of bacterial infections. Species studied: many, including rats, mice and rabbits. Treatment of whooping cough, one of the most acute infections of children. Species studied: guinea pigs, rabbits. Prevention of polio. Scientists developed a vaccine for polio, a deadly disease that killed or crippled millions of people worldwide. The disease has been eradicated in the Western Hemisphere and doctors hope to eliminate it worldwide by the end of the century. Species studied: rabbits, monkey. Discovery of DNA, which determines heredity characteristics. Species studied: rats and mice. Development of open-heart surgery and the cardiac pacemaker. Species studied: dogs. Development of cancer chemotherapy. Species studied: monkeys, rabbits and rodents. Discovery of tranquilizers, chemical compounds to reduce hyperactivity, anxiety and tension. Species studied: rats, rabbits and monkeys. 1960's Development of lithium, a drug used to prevent manic depressive illness and recurrent depression. Species studied: rats and guinea pigs. Rubella vaccine developed. Species studied: monkeys. 1970's Measles vaccine developed. Species studied: monkeys. Leprosy treatment. Species studied: monkeys, armadillos. Cardiology advances, including measurement of coronary blood flow, myocardial preservation techniques and heart bypass techniques. Species studied: dogs. 1980's Development of monoclonal antibodies for treating diseases, which marked a breakthrough in the use of antibodies as diagnostic or therapeutic tools. Species studied: mice and rabbits. Organ transplant advances, such as anti-rejection drugs. Species studied: dogs, sheep, cows and pigs. 1990's Laproscopic surgical techniques developed, providing minimally invasive surgical techniques and vastly reducing the hospital stay of patients. Species studied: dogs, sheep, cows and pigs. Breast cancer discoveries. Scientists are close to discovering genetic and environmental factors of breast cancer, the leading cause of death of American women, ages 35 to 54. Species studied: fruitflies, mice and rats. Gene therapy for cystic fibrosis. Clinical trials are currently underway in the first step to cure a disease that threatens the lives of 30,000 children and young adults. Species studied: mice and primates. Biomedical research continues today to find answers to illnesses that cut short the lives of millions of people and animals. Following are some of the diseases and the current research trying to cure them. Children’s neurological disorders Epilepsy, the most common neurological disorder among young people, affects almost 1 percent of the U.S. population. Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes unpredictable, uncontrolled seizures. Head injuries, stroke, infections or tumors can cause it. However, recent research indicates that inherited genes are involved in most cases. The most severe seizures can cause loss of consciousness, convulsions and wild movements of the limbs. Some 500,000 children and adults in the U.S. have at least one symptom of cerebral palsy – a disorder caused by damage to the brain, usually before or during birth. Cerebral palsy includes a group of chronic conditions affecting body movement and muscle coordination, caused by damage to one or more specific areas of the brain, usually occurring during fetal development or at birth. About 5,000 babies are diagnosed with the condition each year. Tourette syndrome, spinabifida, hydrocephalus, microcephalus, Maebius syndrome are also classified as children’s neurological disorders. Tourette syndrome causes uncontrolled actions such as verbal outbursts and muscular tics. Spinabifida is a spinal cord defect. Hydrocephalus and microcephalus are fetal defects characterized by abnormally large or small heads. Moebius syndrome is the medical name for congenitally misshapen feet. Current research Rapid advances in brain scanning technology, especially magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are contributing to recognition of the conditions and understanding their causes. These advances, combined with human genome research, allow scientists to design new drugs that are more specific, effective and have fewer side effects. Cerebral palsy prevention measures, mostly involving the mother, are being improved on the basis of new knowledge about the brain damage that causes the disorder. These may deal with blood incompatibility and exposures to virus and other infections during pregnancy. Genetically engineered laboratory mice are being studied extensively in the U.S. and in Europe and the recent identification of three specific genes has brought researchers significantly closer to understanding of inherited conditions that might cause epilepsy and other disorders. Organ Transplants Since the 1980's, thousands of people have benefited from technology that allows organs to be transplanted to replace a failing system. Heart, kidney and lung transplants – among others – have allowed thousands of people to lead normal lives. Through current medical research, these surgeries are being perfected and long-term health questions are being answered. Current research A treatment to block organ rejection has remained effective for up to a year in monkeys that received transplanted kidneys. The experimental treatment will one day free some transplant patients from having to take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of their lives. Emergency medicine Trauma and accident victims often have serious problems due to blood loss. Scientists, through biomedical research, have developed surgical techniques and other treatments for accident victims. Current research Scientists at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Silver Spring, Maryland, and the American Red Cross have developed a bandage loaded with dried, highly concentrated blood-clotting proteins that can halt even severe arterial bleeding within minutes. In animal tests, the bandage stopped previously uncontrollable bleeding in seconds. Human tests for the bandage are required berofe requesting approval from the FDA. Diabetes Diabetes affects 5 percent of the United States population and is the third leading cause of death by disease in the United States. More than 600,000 people come down with the disease each year and there are 34,000 deaths each year from the disease, which can cause blindness and kidney failure. It also doubles the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Current research Researchers have tested more than 50,000 natural and synthetic substances and have found a fungus compound that acts like insulin, raising the possibility that diabetics may be able to take pills instead of shots. With this treatment, being tested in mice with diabetes, the researchers found that it significantly lowered the sugar in animals’ blood. Breast cancer For years, scientists have searched for a genetic link for breast cancer. After four years of experiments, researchers have finally bred a strain of mice that indicates how a gene causes breast cancer. Current research Developing the first animal model to study the disease is the latest in a controversial, two-decade hunt for the breast-cancer gene. Within months of the 1994 discovery of the gene, researchers began marketing a test that revealed to women in certain families whether they had inherited a higher-than-usual risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers. AIDS More than 1 million people have HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, in the United States. Worldwide, more than 10 million people have contracted the disease, for which there is no cure. Scientists now say that the risk of contracting AIDS is no longer confined to a few high-risk groups. Current research AIDS researchers at Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center in Atlanta have been searching for answers and cures for the AIDS virus. Recent breakthroughs at the center look promising for protection against the disease. Scientists have created a DNA vaccine that protects monkeys against the HIV virus. Achieving protection with this vaccine, made with harmless components from a SHIV and HIV combination, is a promising step toward development of an effective vaccine. Researchers hope the first human trials of a substance that blocks cervical cancer could also help kill HIV, the HIV virus that causes AIDS. A topical solution, sodium dedecyl sulfate – an ingredient found in toothpaste and shampoo – kills human papillomavirus, the sexually transmitted infection that causes cervical cancer. The solution has also shown to be effective in killing HIV. The virus that causes feline AIDS has helped researchers develop a potential treatment for HIV. The new chemical, active in feline AIDS, was found to work against the human virus in test tube experiments. Liver disease At three pounds, the human liver is the body’s largest internal organ and is amazingly intricate, working to detoxify the blood and to make an array of vital proteins. Current research Results of laboratory animal studies over the past year are providing new clues about how to prevent liver damage and giving researchers hope that they might be able to halt or even reverse the progression of liver cirrhosis. Experiments have involved two types of lab mice – regular mice and so-called "knockout" mice, which lack a gene necessary to produce interleukin-(il-6), an immune system component that has a number of functions, most notably to trigger inflammation. Scientists assumed that the knockout mice would fare better than their counterparts, instead they discovered knockout mice had a death rate twice those that produced the il-6. While discoveries that il-6 is needed to combat liver cirrhosis looks promising, more experimentation is needed before the results can be used in humans. Heart disease Experiments with dogs and other animals have led to several breakthroughs for humans in combating heart disease. Most of what we know about cardiology – including open-heart surgery, which saves hundreds of thousands of lives each year -–has come from studying animals. Now, studies show that a new drug may help in the fight against heart disease. Current research Discovered at Harvard, endostatin has already proved effective in treating some cancerous tumors in mice. Now, the same drug has shown to slow the development of hardening of the arteries, also called artheroschlerosis. The research raises the possibility that a new category of drugs, known as blood vessel inhibitors, may be useful against heart disease and cancer. Gene therapy Animals have also been useful in gene therapy, a relatively new method of combating several diseases. By isolating genes that cause the disease, gene therapy has been useful in discovering who may be at risk for certain diseases – including Parkinson’s Disease and obesity. Two research groups have discovered a gene known to suppress obesity and regulate how quickly the body burns calories. This find could be the first step in keeping people thin. Scientists have tested mice with and without this gene, mice with the mutated gene did not gain weight regardless of their diet. Some researchers have isolated a group of bone-precursor cells from skeletal muscle, transferred them into a gene that fosters bone growth and injected these genetically altered cells into mice. The results shows that muscle-derived stem cells are capable of forming bones inside animals, leading physicians to deliver bone-producing cells to certain types of bone fractures. Corrective genes were successfully delivered to certain brain cells of laboratory mice, saving them from dying of a simulated form of Parkinson’s Disease and correcting some of their walking difficulties. The result is the latest example of experimental viral gene therapy; a technology attempting to cure a variety of diseases. Scientists have also used a form of gene therapy to insert a gene for the protein, called vascular endothelial growth factor, into the leg muscles of adult mice. The muscle cells create high levels of the growth factor, attracting new cells to the site and leading to the formation of major new blood vessel structures previously thought to exist only during the embryonic stage. The research suggests that stem cells can be used to build new vascular structures and blood vessels, which has applications in treating heart disease, diabetes and preventing tumors. Deafness More than 30 million people in the United States have some sort of hearing loss – of these, 2 million are almost totally deaf. Deafness affects development and ability to communicate. The disability costs $30 billion each year in medical costs, special education, and lost productivity. Current Research Researchers have used animals to discover the chromosome they believe responsible for certain types of congenital deafness in mice. In a study that is part of a larger project that also involves humans, the researchers were able to produce A mouse that could hear. The researchers injected tiny bits of normal DNA into fertilized mouse eggs specifically bred to be deaf. Cancer One out of four Americans has some sort of cancer, and researchers continually struggle to find cures for the various cancers that affect Americans. Cancer affects three out of four families and costs $70 billion each year in health care expenditures. But researchers are constantly searching for answers to this family of deadly diseases. Current Research A new drug developed has been shown to cure human small-cell lung cancer in mice when taken in low doses. Initial data from preclinical studies showed the drug, used in non-curative doses and combined with chemotherapy, completely eliminated the animals’ tumors in 100 percent of the mice. Brain Researchers have used mice to discover how external factors effect your brain. Current research For example, researchers think running could build up your brain. Mice that ran on an exercise wheel whenever they wanted created more new cells in one area of the brain than mice that pursued other activities. The study followed up on previous work that found mice created more cells in the hippocampus, an area involved with memory and learning. Spinal Cord Injuries More than 500,000 Americans are hospitalized each year with traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, which are the leading cause of death in children and young adults. Each year, 80,000 people are victims of spinal cord injuries and brain injuries, and the health care costs equal $100,000 billion. Current research Scientists have also used nose cells from pigs to regenerate and restore function to severed spinal cords in rats and primates. The procedure was successfully used on 25 to 50 rats whose spinal cords were surgically severed. Without the contributions of mice, rats, rabbits, dogs, cats and a variety of other animal species, many diseases would remain unsolvable puzzles. Thanks to these animals, however, both humans and animals are free from many diseases that once plagued the world. Hope for more cures and treatments continue as animal research progresses.


	Animals also benefit from research... Medical discoveries made through animal studies often reduce disease and suffering of our pets and other animals as well. Some of the many health problems affecting both humans and animals are: allergies arthritis birth defects cancer tuberculosis asthma heart disease kidney disease Lyme disease epilepsy ulcers measles influenza hypertension glaucoma diabetes bronchitis leukemia deafness tetanus