WSU Statement

Wayne State University denies the PCRMs charges of any animal

mistreatment. The PCRM is dedicated to ending animal research of any
kind, a viewpoint unsupported by many organizations including the
American Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical
Association.
Wayne State is committed to the protection of animals, but also recognizes
the benefits of research involving animals. Animal research has played a
vital role in virtually every major medical advance of the last century for
both human and animal health. From antibiotics to blood transfusions, from
dialysis to chemotherapy, bypass surgery and joint replacement, practically
every present-day protocol for the prevention, treatment, cure and control of
disease, pain and suffering is based on knowledge attained through research
with animals.
Every winter we hear about someone having a heart attack while shoveling
snow. Certain types of exercise trigger a type of feedback loop in people
with high blood pressure or modest heart failure. How this feedback loop is
triggered and why it escalates to a heart attack under certain conditions, like
shoveling snow, is not well understood. Research at Wayne State is making
progress uncovering the factors that contribute to this deadly cycle.
The worlds most eminent experts in clinical and translational cardiovascular
sciences sitting on the National Institutes of Healths National Heart, Lung
and Blood Institute (NHLBI) panels, rate the research as highly important.
The NHLBI has funded the research continually for more than 20 years
because its scientists view Wayne States resulting research data and peerreviewed journal articles as valuable contributions to cardiovascular
research. Only the top 10 percent of all NHLBI grants are funded, so if the
research was not productive it would not receive the competitive funding.
The NHLBIs cardiovascular experts are far more qualified to judge the
quality of scientific research than PCRM veterinarians.
The animal laboratories at Wayne State are subject to surprise inspections,
veterinary oversight, and intense scrutiny by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture; our record is exemplary.

The USDA conducted inspection of Wayne States animal laboratories on

Nov. 12 and 13, 2013, following PCRM allegations and the USDA found no
problems whatsoever. The USDA also inspected WSUs animal labs
between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2, 2011. No violations were found.
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Laboratory
Animal Welfare also concurred on Jan. 27, 2012, with a Wayne State
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee investigation that found no
evidence of noncompliance with the federal policy on humane care and use
of laboratory animals.
Wayne State University is committed to ensuring that all research and
teaching protocols using live animals are designed and carried out in a
humane manner that complies with all laws, policies and guidelines. The
university has the highest level of ethical standards in conducting biomedical
research, as well as the highest level of care for animals used in research,
and has been accredited by the Association of Assessment and Accreditation
for Laboratory Animal Care International since its inception.
The university strictly adheres to the policy of using only as many animals
as reasonably necessary, minimizing pain and distress, and using alternatives
whenever feasible.