The controversy of using non-human primates in medical research Essay

The controversy of using non-human primates in medical research - Essay Example They are useful in safety testing of new drugs and substances meant for human medication and dentistry (Arnold, 2012). The urgency that is there in the development of vaccines, antibiotic drugs and antiretroviral for the current crop of new diseases facing humans, primates are used. HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis attribute their research success on the use of primates. Experiments with primates are important in studying of the human brain and organ transplant in human beings (Arnold, 2012). The other reason why primates are used in animal testing is their similarity to human beings since they share 98 percent of human genes (Arnold, 2012). Primates and humans develop in a similar manner in their infants and young stages and this makes them a rich source of reference and testing of drugs for use by infants and children (Arnold, 2012). Due to their similarity immune system to that of human beings, primates are the most suitable species to conduct studies on various infectious