Diabetes UK appreciates that some people have concerns about the use of animals in medical research. However we are also aware of the important contribution that such research has made to improvements in life expectancy and quality of life enjoyed by people living with diabetes as well as the potential contribution it could make in the future.
There is currently no cure for diabetes and over 2.5 million people in the UK live with diabetes. Many people with diabetes would lead a more debilitating life and may even die if some of the major advances in medical understanding and diabetes treatments had not been made through past research, some of which has involved the use of animals. Knowledge gained from animal research has been significant and essential in numerous diabetes breakthroughs, for example the use of insulin and islet cell transplantation would not be available if it had not been for animal research.
Diabetes UK acknowledges that under some circumstances research cannot be done without involving animals and believes that the ethical use of animals is appropriate and essential in medical and scientific research to further the treatment, prevention and cure of diabetes and its complications.
Diabetes UK funded research
- Diabetes UK does not carry out research itself but supports research projects that take place in higher education institutes around the UK.
- Each research project application is reviewed by Diabetes UK’s Research Committee of scientific and lay experts and is also peer reviewed by other national and international experts. There is a dedicated section within our application form that asks for a justification for the use of animals which must be completed satisfactorily.
- All Diabetes UK funded research projects involving animals must meet Diabetes UK’s criteria which includes information on how the research will help us to learn more about diabetes as well as a guarantee of adherence to the Home Office's guidelines for the welfare of the animals.
- Diabetes UK supports the Home Office’s commitment to refine experimental techniques and procedures, reduce the number of animals involved in research and replace animals in research wherever possible. All Diabetes UK supported research that involves the use of animals requires Home Office licences for both the researchers involved in the project and for the project itself.
- All Diabetes UK funded projects that involve animal research must also comply with our own conditions concerning the care and handling of animals (these are outlined in Clause 5 of the ‘Grant Conditions’ which can be downloaded from this page).
- Diabetes UK is a members of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) and adheres to their guidelines on the use of animals in research which can be downloaded from their website.
- All donations for Diabetes UK research are shared among all of our research projects, studentships and fellowship whether they involve animals or not. It is, therefore, not possible to guarantee that money received either through direct donation of from someone’s membership will not be used to support research involving animals.
Further information
The Home Office's website on caring for research animals.
Understanding Animal Research (an amalgamation of the Research Defence Society and the Coalition for Medical Progress) also has some useful information on animals in medical research.
2011