BUAV: Research revolution needed to end hunt for Aids vaccine
Friday, 01, Dec 2006 12:00
New BUAV report shows how 25 years of experimenting on primates has failed to stop AIDS– and how we must now shift to proven alternative research methods
Still Dying of Ignorance? 25 years of failed primate AIDS research – is a comprehensive review of the published research into finding an HIV vaccine. It sets out in stark detail how the last quarter century search for a cure has failed.
It highlights how research using primates has delivered 30 vaccines which protect monkeys from contracting their version of HIV (SIV), but fail for humans.
The report details how fundamental differences in the way primates contract and react to the virus have meant this research has ultimately proved irrelevant to stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS in humans.
And it goes on to reveal how this has led researchers to make increasingly desperate attempts to recreate HIV-like viral behaviour in primates via repeated vaginal, rectal and oral ‘challenges.’
Conversely the BUAV’s exhaustive review of the scientific literature shows the most effective and widely used treatments for HIV/AIDS such as Zidovudine, protease inhibitors and 3TC have been developed by studying infected human cells in test tubes (in vitro).
Despite such overwhelming evidence, and proven public opposition (see notes to editor), the UK Medical Research Council continues to pour millions of tax-payers money into efforts to find a vaccine by experimenting on primates.
BUAV Chief Executive Michelle Thew said: “Our report shows the most crucial breakthroughs in AIDS research has come from studies that did not involve laboratory animals, and that experiments using test tube and human volunteer studies are unsurprisingly giving scientists the knowledge they need to treat a peculiarly human virus.”
She added: “There is a clear need to divert the money, expertise and effort into boosting research methods that are delivering results for human health, as well as sparing primates from pointless and painful experiments. Our report shows that not only do non-animal test methods have a long history of success in fighting AIDS, these humane alternatives also provide the brightest hope for the future.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITOR
•Still Dying of Ignorance? 25 years of failed primate AIDS research was researched and written by the BUAV’s Dr Katy Taylor Bsc PhD and reviewed by Dr Gill Langley. Dr Taylor is an animal welfare scientist with a doctorate in animal behaviour and medical statistics.
•A New scientist poll showed over half of the UK population are opposed to primate research. An ICM poll conducted for BBC Newsnight earlier this year showed that 58 per cent of British people thought most of the public money available for medical research should be spent on ‘alternative viable ways of testing.’
•The BUAV has been campaigning for over 100 years to achieve a world where nobody wants or believes we need to experiment on animals. We are committed to achieving our aims through reliable and reasoned evidence-based debate. We are proudly non-violent and respect the quality of life for all – animals and people.
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