In an ideal world scientists would not use animals (mainly mice and rats) for medical research. They would use alternative techniques. In fact, they are doing so increasingly. Non-animal methods now account for about 90% of medical research and include mathematical and computer models, advanced tissue and cell cultures and scanning technology. However, the scientific consensus is that many key questions can still only be answered by animal studies. These studies offer hope to millions of people with conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, sickle cell disease, stroke, spinal cord damage and tropical diseases like malaria. of course, animal models have.
