A Change of Protocol
A Change of Protocol
Yuzuki is doing a postdoctoral fellowship in a laboratory that studies cancer treatment. In the experiment she is overseeing, a cancer-prone strain of mice is allowed to develop visible tumors and then receives experimental drugs to observe the effects on the tumors.
Yuzuki notices that the tumors are interfering with the ability of some of the mice to eat and drink. She also notices that some of the mice are weaker and more emaciated than the others, which she suspects is a consequence of their feeding difficulties. The protocol for the experiment states that the mice will be treated only if they exhibit obvious signs of pain or discomfort.
When she mentions her concerns to another postdoctoral fellow, he suggests not raising the issue with the rest of the lab. The mice will be euthanized as soon as the experiment is over, and their nutritional status probably has little or no effect on the drug treatment. Furthermore, if it proved necessary to change the experimental protocol, the previous work would be invalidated and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee would need to be notified.
1.What can Yuzuki do to get more information about the issue?
2.If she decides to raise the issue with others, what is the best way to do so?
3.Should the original protocol have been approved?
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A Change of Protocol, in Japanese
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| An objective explanation for
Yuzuki's belief that the tumor interferes with the mice's ability to
eat and drink is needed. It is also necessary to provide information on
the ethical codes and protocols for handling laboratory animals as
envisioned by the Institute's Animal Care and Use Committee, and
whether or not there is an objective explanation for the fact that the
animals Yuzuki is handling are in need of such procedures. Even though her colleague's decision to take a postdoc and her instructions to Yuzuki to cover up the secret were unfounded - not an immediate case of euthanasia - Yuzuki's concerns were not. Even though Yuzuki's concern was unfounded - there was no immediate case for euthanasia - the way her colleague had gone about it was a violation of the ethical norms of research - because the cover-up, if it were foul, would have caused a destructive situation - and it was natural for her to consider advising others. In order to convey things more accurately, Yuzuki may need to gather the above information. If the accumulation of such familiar ethical acts plays an important role in the fairness of research, then the protocol of the experiment does not address unexpected events. Therefore, it is inevitable in the conduct of research ethics that there may be interruptions or changes in the experimental design in some cases. |
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Notes: This case example is cited and codified from "US National Academy of Sciences, On Being a Scientist: A Guide to Responsible Conduct in Research: Third Edition, 2009."
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