Prompt Cast
The Controversy and Decline of Chimpanzee Testing in Medical Research
TLDR Chimps have been used for medical testing due to their genetic similarity to humans, but their use has been controversial and has led to unintended deaths. However, recent legislation and the suspension of grants for chimpanzee testing in the United States signal the beginning of the end for this practice.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Chimps should not be used for medical testing.
04:10
Wanka, the oldest primate in captivity used for research, has been experimented on since she was three years old and her mother was one of the original chimps used by Yerkes in the 20s for behavioral research.
08:38
Chimps are genetically similar to humans, and have been used for medical research and testing, including for vaccines, treatments, contraceptives, addiction, and space exploration.
12:56
Chimps were used for medical testing, including for AIDS research, but it was discovered that they don't develop AIDS like humans do, leading to a reliance on human experimentation for progress in AIDS research.
16:53
The Colston Foundation, which was shut down in 2002, was controversial as it developed treatments for diseases but also performed cruel experiments on chimps, resulting in unintended deaths.
21:17
The Chimpanzee Health Improvement Maintenance and Protection Act, passed in 2000, prohibits the killing of retired chimps from biomedical or behavioral testing and requires their care for the rest of their lives, but this only applies to federally funded chimp programs and pharmaceutical companies in the United States.
25:32
The NIH has suspended all new grants for biomedical and behavioral research on chimps and apes, signaling the beginning of the end for chimpanzee testing in the United States.
29:40
The podcast episode concludes with a mention of the Chimp Act of 2000 and encourages listeners to learn more about chimps and biomedical testing on howstuffworks.com.
33:53
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Categories:
Society & Culture
