Tweaking the Experiments: Most People Now Accept the Growing Use of Genetically Modified Mice

Despite the significant overall decline from the 1970s to 2009 in the total number of animals used in testing (peak usage occurred in the 1970s at 5.5 million animals), the ability to breed genetically modified mice to study certain diseases has increased the total number of experiments conducted every year since 2000. At the same time, people are becoming more accepting of the use of animals in research. Public acceptance of those who agree that animal testing should be allowed in any experiment where there is no other viable alternative has doubled over the decade ending in 2009. Researchers believe this is likely due to the growing support of science in general.