THE attack on animal research by the animal rights group, Uncaged (Letters, May 28), was with claims that have no basis in fact. Any public debate on this emotive issue should start with the facts.

The claim that animal research "cannot be used to predict human reactions or solve our health problems" is nonsense.

In the case of cancers, the advances so far in treatments have all depended on the use of mice. So, for instance, the fact that eight out of 10 children now survive the commonest form of childhood leukaemia is due to chemotherapy, radiotherapy and bone marrow transplantation, all developed as a result of mouse studies.

The spread of secondary cancers is the main cause of death from cancer. It is simply not possible to study how these cancers start and spread using isolated cells and tissues.

The latest discoveries about potential new treatments come from such studies in mice. Without the mice, research would simply not have got this far. Similar factors apply to research on other serious conditions such as muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis and spinal injury. Wherever possible, research is done using cells and tissues. But at certain stages the overriding need is to find out what happens in the whole living body, and that is only possible using animals. Ethically, that usually means using non-human animals rather than patients.

So, before you decide to protest, please make sure you look at all sides of the animal research debate, rather than relying on animal rights propaganda.

BARBARA DAVIES, Deputy Director, Research Defence Society, Great Marlborough Street, London W1.

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