The purpose of this post is to have a sort-of "disclaimer" to link to (if I can remember) whenever I discuss a rodent study here at the Asylum ... A small manifesto if you will, on my feelings on the utility and limitations of rodent studies in relation to human beings. Also, I look at this post as a way to remind older readers and/or inform newer readers as to my background. I spent roughly five years in the company of countless rats and mice, working for Big Pharma, and when I speak of rats, I'm not talking about my colleagues ;-) My job was half analytical chemistry, half metabolism. I worked on mostly discovery level drug candidates (a level before development) characterizing the absorption, metabolism and routes of excretion of these drugs, mostly antidepressants. As such I've chopped the heads off of more rats than I care to recollect, opened up countless abdomens of mice to get maximum blood samples from the vena cava, removed/homogenized and analyzed countless livers, brains and intestines, observed behavior of these animals in their cages when dosed with the drugs I was giving them, etc.etc.etc. As such, I do take somewhat personal affront to those who issue blanket dismissals of any animal studies. As far as I'm concerned you're all a bunch of hypocrits unless you have never taken anything more than an aspirin and/or never intend to and plan to die a "natural death" feeling full pain and discomfort from whatever might befall you on this journey we call life. I'm not going to turn this into a defense of Big Pharma, I have no affiliation, and since the days when I worked there (late 80's) I've felt our country is vastly over-medicated (and it has only gotten so so much worse since). But I mention this because I believe my perspective is a bit unique in this regard.
Read more »
Langganan:
Posting Komentar (Atom)
