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Physicians Committee Experts Recommend Phasing Out Animal Use in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Disease Research
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) is currently drafting two strategic plans for tackling common neurologic disorders: the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease and the National Plan to End Parkinson’s. To better understand and treat the diseases, Physicians Committee experts urged HHS to prioritize human-based research and shift away from animal experimentation.
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases affect over 8 million people as well as their family members and caregivers. As adults ages 65 and older make up the fastest-growing major age group in the country, it is increasingly important to understand diseases that become more common later in life, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. To prevent and treat these diseases effectively, researchers need to study them using methods that are relevant to humans.
As part of the planning process for the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease and the National Plan to End Parkinson’s, HHS issued two requests for information inviting stakeholders and members of the public to share their perspectives on what should be included in the plans. Physicians Committee experts responded by urging HHS to emphasize human-based research and take steps to phase out the use of animals in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease research. Animal experiments often fail to capture the complexities of human aging and age-related neurological diseases because of fundamental species differences, including humans’ larger, more complex brains and significantly longer lifespans. By prioritizing research methods that more directly reflect human biology, federally funded research can help advance our understanding of these devastating diseases and improve prevention and treatment.
In addition to these responses, Physicians Committee Director of Medical Research Jarrod Bailey, PhD, FOCAE, provided an oral comment to the HHS Advisory Council on Parkinson's Research, Care, and Services about the need to shift away from animal experimentation, particularly the use of nonhuman primates, in Parkinson’s research. The council consists of various stakeholders who advise HHS on issues related to Parkinson’s disease research, care, and services, including the development of National Plan to End Parkinson’s.
The Physicians Committee will continue to urge the government to prioritize human-based methods over animal-based approaches to help advance medical research toward an animal-free future.
