Treating hepatitis C in chimpanzees used in former medical experiments
Researchers at Kyoto University have successfully treated chimpanzees at the Kumamoto Sanctuary for chronic hepatitis C using medication originally developed for humans. The project aims to improve the welfare of chimpanzees formerly used in medical research.
Why it matters
This initiative highlights the ethical responsibility of the scientific community toward animals used in historical medical experiments and demonstrates the cross-species efficacy of modern antiviral treatments.
edited by Lisa Lock , reviewed by Andrew Zinin
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Add as preferred source A celebration for chimpanzee Shobo. The research team celebrated the success of his treatment for hepatitis C with a feast that included mangoes and other fruits and vegetables. Credit: KyotoU / Kumamoto Sanctuary As close relatives of humans, chimpanzees have sometimes been used in biomedical experiments. They were instrumental in the identification of the hepatitis C virus: The then-mysterious pathogen was artificially injected into chimpanzees for study, leading to its eventual identification in 1989. Since then, treatments for humans have advanced, and hepatitis C can now be nearly cured with medication. However, the same treatment has not been extended to chimpanzees.
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