Two respected experts debated the issue of using animal research as a reliable predictor of human diseases and their cures Wednesday night at the Wisconsin Historical Society.

The speakers discussed whether the science of using animals is an effective model for human disease as opposed to the ethics behind animal testing, said Dawn Kubly, a physical therapist and coordinator of the debate.

Dr. Ray Greek, a University of Wisconsin Medical School instructor and president of Americans for Medical Advancements, argued animal research is misleading and results in direct harm to humans and the animals being used.

Greek said science is not about opinion, but about evidence, and added he believes the evidence from animal experimentation is simply not strong enough.

"AFMA is in favor of anything that leads to cures — we are not an animal advocate group," Greek said. "Our position is very straightforward — we reject animal-modeled research as a predictive modality for human disease."

Greek said if men and women, people of different ethnicities and even identical twins react very differently to drugs, animals should not be expected to react the same as humans.

"The differences between species [now] outweigh the similarities," Greek said.

Greek pointed out animal studies of smoking, heart disease, HIV/AIDS and other diseases prove animal models are misleading and not predictive.

However, Dr. Eric Sandgren, an animal researcher and acting director of the UW Research Animal Resource Center, said animal models have contributed immensely to our understanding of human biology and disease.

According to Sandgren, the ideal approach to the study of human disease involves combining animal and human studies.

"Even though animals and humans are not identical, they do have much in common," Sandgren said. "As we develop a greater understanding of animal and human biology and disease, we become better at choosing the ‘right' animal model, that is, the ones that will be most predictive."

Kubly said she is not an expert on the topic of animal research but has a personal and professional interest in improving human health. She said she thinks there are better ways to further knowledge on human diseases and their cures than using taxpayer dollars on animal research.

"Based on what I have read, there are other methods of experimentation that do not include animals, such as epidemiology studies," Kubly said. "Epidemiological studies, which studies human population, have identified the major risk factors for heart disease, like smoking and high blood pressure, factors that did not show up in nonhuman animal studies."

Kubly added this debate was not discussing the ethical issue of animal rights, but if there is scientific proof that animal models can be predictive for humans.