Northwest Association for Biomedical Research

The Lifesaving Gift of Biomedical Research
by Joseph W. Eschbach
Special to The Times

Washington state joined the nation in recognizing the importance of using animals in medical research October 21 – the birthday of Alfred Nobel (1833-1896) - by observing Biomedical Research Day.

Biomedical research discoveries have improved the health and well-being of people and animals throughout the world.

Misinformation and myths about animal research are common. Some feel that animal research should be banned. Others have destroyed research data and facilities, setting back studies on diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and cancer.

These actions are misguided. Human and animal biomedical research is strictly governed by federal laws and regulations, which ensure that research animals receive excellent care. Every research protocol involving animals must be reviewed, approved and monitored by special committees at each research institution.

Animals are only used when there is no other effective alternative. Computer models, cell cultures, and other sophisticated technologies provide alternatives to animal use whenever possible but cannot mimic the complicated interactions among cells, tissues and organs. Without animal research, critical studies on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of breast cancer, AIDS, diabetes and other diseases that plague humans and animals would not be possible.

Currently, there are 140 biotechnology and medical-device companies and nonprofit research organizations in Washington. In addition to their scientific contributions, these research facilities enhance the financial health of our state by reducing health costs, delivering better patient treatments, providing high-quality jobs, and improving international commerce and trade.

Pivotal discoveries that have brought renewed life and hope to countless patients were developed in Washington's local research laboratories. Virtually every medical breakthrough this century is the result of research with animals. For instance:

The first bone-marrow transplants to treat leukemia and other blood disorders were pioneered by Dr. E. Donnall Thomas and his colleagues at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. These procedures were originally perfected by carefully conducted studies on dogs at the University of Washington. Dr. Thomas showed that irradiated bone marrow could be replaced by marrow cells from tissue-matched healthy donors. In 1990, Dr. Thomas won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for this work. I had the privilege of working with him on some of his early research studies.

Ultrasound technology, so crucial for diagnosing and monitoring many medical conditions, was developed after extensive work in live animals by Eugene Strandness and Robert Rushmer at the University of Washington.

Dr. John Adamson and I, working with sheep in the late 1970s and early 1980s at the University of Washington, proved that the kidney hormone erythropoietin (Epo) corrected the anemia of kidney failure. This was at a time when most physicians/scientists did not think that the "poisons" present in kidney failure could be overcome. Following this lead, scientists at Amgen, a biotechnology company in southern California, cloned the gene for Epo and produced the human kidney hormone using recombinant technology. After proving that it worked in rats and dogs, human clinical trials in Seattle involving severely anemic kidney failure patients on dialysis led to the FDA approval of Epogen for human use. Next month, the Northwest Kidney Centers and Amgen celebrate the 10th anniversary of this achievement, which improves the quality of life and life span of these patients.

The first coronary artery bypass graft surgery was performed on a dog by Dr. Lester Sauvage, founder of The Hope Heart Institute, in 1962. Dr. Sauvage also developed Dacron grafts through testing on dogs conducted in Providence Hospital's animal laboratories in the early '60s.
These are but a few of the significant accomplishments of Washington's biomedical research community.

Animals benefit from animal research as well. More than 80 medicines and vaccines developed for humans are now used to heal pets, farm animals and wildlife. As one example, animal testing by Pfizer has led to the development of Rimadyl, a medication that has treated arthritis in over 2.5 million dogs. Many pharmaceutical companies are now also creating medicines specifically for animals. Animal research has even helped preserve endangered species such as the California condor.

The Northwest Association for Biomedical Research (NWABR) was established 11 years ago as a nonprofit organization committed to educating students and the public about the vital role of animal research in advancing human and animal health. NWABR believes an informed public will want to support continued progress in medical care based on animal research. I urge all Washington citizens to recognize the importance of appropriate and humane animal research in improving the health of all of us, and the animals we love.

Dr. Joseph W. Eschbach is president of the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research (NWABR).
Copyright © 1999 The Seattle Times Company
Opinion/Editorials: Tuesday, October 26, 1999

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The NWABR web site was made possible by funding from the National Center for Research
Resources and the National Institutes of Health through a Science Education Partnership Award.