The academic community has extensively explored the
use of mice in regenerative medicine as well. In fact, those small guinea pigs,
where the first ones to help in the development of the stem cell therapy. Their
embryonic cells were observed and isolated by in vitro culture which led to the
creation of a genetic mouse model of disease.
Much attention had been drawn to the famous mouse with
an ear on it's back. The image of that mouse, had shocked the public and raised
some critical opinions about the ethical part of this procedure. However, it
was later revealed that the ear was made from cartilage structure by cow
cartilage cells. In other words, there was no human tissue involved and no
mutations took place.
Many years later, scientists took it a step further, when
they successfully grew an ear on the back of a mouse by using human stem cells.
This experiment, led to an amazing operation- the creation of a prosthetic ear,
made from human stem cells from the patients themselves. The new ear, is inserted
under the skin on their forearm and develops for some months until it can be
transplanted to the head. It’s important to emphasize that during the whole
procedure the patient can hear normally. (The same technique can be applied
with prosthetic noses.)
It has been established that
laboratory animals have helped biology, biomedicine, regenerative medicine and
have contributed to the growth of medicine and pharmacology. They have helped
humans to understand more about their own diseases and enabled them to find many
cures. Many investigations however, call into question about the quality of
life those animals are given. There have been many reports of abuse, neglect and
unethical procedures done to them. The academic community has to ensure the
protection and the welfare of those precious animals or else all their tries to
improve human life will be overpowered
by their exploitation of nature.
