best, option. For example, brand new drugs or medical devices
must be tested for safety and effectiveness in animals before
they are tested in people. Few people would prefer to be the
first “guinea pig” for a new procedure.
Regulation of Animal Research
Two federal agencies, the Public Health Service and the
Department of Agriculture, oversee animal research in the
United States. These agencies require institutions that conduct
research on animals to maintain a committee (the “Institutional
Animal Care and Use Committee,” or IACUC) to evaluate all
proposed use of animals in testing or experimentation.
The members of IACUC must include veterinarians, scientists,
non-scientists, and people from the community. The IACUC
must determine that proposed animal research and testing has
scientific value, that the animals are treated humanely, and that
the lowest possible numbers of animals are used.
Care of Research Animals
Research institutions, scientists, and veterinarians work hard to
maintain the research animals in good health and to safeguard
them from neglect or harm. Animals that are not healthy, com-
fortable, and free of stress do not make good research subjects,
especially for stress-sensitive processes like sleep.
Sources of Animals for Research
Almost all animals used in biomedical research are specifical-
ly bred for research use, just as cattle and other species of ani-
mals are bred to supply food. Over 90% of the animals used in
research are mice and rats, and this percentage continues to
grow each year. Other species (hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits,
and even fruit flies, as well as a low percentage of monkeys,
dogs, and cats) make up the rest. Even the few dogs and cats
used in research are purchased from licensed animal dealers
and receive excellent care in the research facilities. These
important animals are used to study devastating human dis-
eases like narcolepsy, epilepsy, and sudden infant death syn-
drome. In contrast, millions of unwanted dogs and cats are sent
to animal shel