|
August
31, 2005
UCSD Scientists Propose Ethical And Scientific
Guidelines For Study Of Captive Great Apes
By Paul Mueller
With genome maps
adding new appreciation of the very close relationship between
humans and the great apes, scientists at the University of California,
San Diego have proposed a series of ethical and scientific guidelines
for the expected increase in research on these, our closest
evolutionary cousins.
The newest genome-mapping
has shown that human beings and chimpanzees share more than
99 percent sequence identity in genes and proteins, while having
accumulated more differences in the rest of their DNA. Indeed,
the great apes – chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans
– are now grouped with humans in the family Hominidae.
Their close kinship to us makes them interesting to scientists,
and research institutions, sanctuaries, zoos, private owners
and the entertainment industry together house more than 2,000
great apes, most of them West African chimpanzees.
The UCSD scientists
want to make sure that the biomedical community recognizes the
great apes’ unique status as near-kin. “We have
special ethical responsibilities towards captive great apes,”
they say in the Sept. 1 issue of the journal Nature,
in an article accompanying the formal publication of the chimpanzee
genome. “They share traits -- including but not limited
to, their genetic similarity to humans, the ability to use and
modify tools and a sense of ‘self’ -- that justify
this special status.”
Pascal Gagneux, James
J. Moore and Ajit Varki of UCSD argue in Nature that “the
study of great apes should follow ethical principles generally
similar to those for current studies on human subjects who cannot
give informed consent,” and they acknowledge the many
grey areas that still perplex researchers.
Is it acceptable, for
example, to do “reversible harm,” such as causing
a mild, treatable infection, or to sedate a chimpanzee (as you
might a child) so as to allow therapeutic procedures? Such issues,
they say, “deserve much further dialog among all concerned.”
Some areas aren’t
grey for the scientists: Alternatives to potentially harmful
forms of research on living chimpanzees should be found as soon
as possible; genomic data should never be used to produce “transgenic”
apes (as is routinely done with mice); and all biomedical studies
on great apes should be carried out in ways that support further
improvements to their care.
Noting that both a
National Research Council Commission report and a recent Federal
Register Notice reemphasize researchers’ obligation to
provide the “best and most humane care possible”
for apes under study, the UCSD scientists argue that “the
time has come to establish broadly accepted guidelines for systematic,
humane and ethical studies of captive great-ape populations
that also contribute to the well-being of the apes themselves.
These studies should be carried out at all levels, from genetics
to biochemistry to physiology to behavior and culture.”
Gagneux, a scientist in cellular and molecular medicine who
also does endangered-species research for the Zoological Society
of San Diego; Moore, a professor of anthropology; and Varki,
a professor of both medicine and cellular and molecular medicine,
make it very clear that their proposal applies only to the great
apes, “and not to other primates, nor other animals.”
And, they assert, their
concern is “not about animal ‘rights’ but
about ethical and scientific challenges specific to great apes
in captivity.”
The scientists recommend
several practices and policies for research to protect the great
apes, even while making fuller use of their contributions to
biomedical discoveries:
- Account for each
great ape with a name and a unique identifier, and collect
complete medical records in a standardized way, using searchable
databases, while maintaining the privacy of researchers and
institutions.
- When a captive ape
dies of natural causes, or is humanely euthanized to end incurable
suffering, conduct a thorough autopsy and organ-sample collection
for genetic, transcriptomic, proteomic, biochemical and histological
studies.
- Preserve and analyze
the musculoskeletal system, as well as body fluid and tissue
samples, “to maximize the information we obtain from
them, rather than treating them as single-use, disposable
tools.”
- Build on the NIH’s
Chimpanzee Management Program and such sanctuaries as Chimp
Haven to establish a collaborative network of facilities involving
all interested scientists. “Already,” they note,
“leaders from institutions in the U.S. holding most
of the chimpanzees have established the National Chimpanzee
Resource Committee, which meets regularly to discuss issues
of mutual interest. The increased cost of supporting all such
facilities will be more than justified by the knowledge gleaned
from the study of healthy, socially integrated great apes
– and can potentially contribute to the ultimate survival
of some of these species.
- Use such a national
network to help train and support scientists interested in
the “standardized accumulation of all relevant biological
data.”
- Have all newly proposed
research studies on great apes approved by specialized ethical
oversight groups advised by the new national network, incorporating
aspects of human- and animal-subjects committees currently
active at most institutions.
“We urge all
scientists studying great apes,” say the authors, “to
contribute not only to the care of captive apes, but also to
develop mechanisms by which studies of captive great apes would
help generate a revenue stream to enhance support for the conservation
of great ape populations in the wild.”
The UCSD scientists
know that their proposal is just the beginning of a potentially
contentious process, “unlikely to please everyone currently
interested in the great apes,” but hope that the resulting
dialog in the research community will help develop a mutually
acceptable solution for all concerned, including the great apes.
“We will undoubtedly
be accused of trying to stand on the proverbial slippery slope,”
said Varki. “However, depending on one’s perspective,
this particular slope can incline in either direction. Thus,
this is exactly where we wish to be on this difficult ethical
issue.”
Meanwhile, they note,
there is a deep irony in the fact that the sequencing of the
chimpanzee genome coincides with the potential demise of great
apes in the wild.
“Research on
captive great apes will provide precious new knowledge,”
said Gagneux. “The future survival of these endangered
species, however, will depend on conservation efforts in their
natural habitats of Africa and Asia.”
The work of Gagneux,
Moore, Varki and members of the UCSD Project for Explaining
the Origin of Humans is funded by the G. Harold and Leila Y.
Mathers Charitable Foundation.
Media Contact: Barry
Jagoda, 858-534-8567
Media Comment: Pascal Gagneux,
858-822-4030
|