Animals in Research:  Without the use of animals in research, the majority of medical advances  would not have occurred. The list of advances ranges from vaccines for  rabies and polio to the development of prescription and non-prescription  drugs and a variety of surgical therapies, including organ  transplantation. Among others, treatment for such devastating conditions  as diabetes, cancer, heart disease and epilepsy were made possible by the  use of research animals.  While there are important alternatives to the use of animals in research  being pursued at Duke - such as computer modeling or cell structure  systems - none of them can fully stimulate the complexity of the living  organism. Even the most sophisticated technology cannot mimic the  complicated interactions among cells, tissues and organs that occur in  humans and animals.  The results obtained from experiments using animals provide information  critical to designing human trials that must be conducted before legal  approval can be granted for new devices, drugs or procedures. Scientists  can gauge the effects of a new drug or procedure in a whole biological  system before its use in humans. This is crucial for scientific as well as  ethical reasons.   Since many studies require that researchers know the genetic history and  specific traits of the animals, most animals used in research are  specially bred for that purpose.

Duke University follows the highest standards of animal care and treatment  for both humane and scientific reasons. The scientific community advocates  the highest quality of care of research animals for two main reasons.

First, those animals that are helping science unlock the mysteries of  disease deserve respect and the best possible care. Secondly, a  well-cared-for animal provides more reliable result.