Why is the use of Genetically Altered (GA) increasing?
Genetic alteration allows the quality of science in many areas of research and testing to be improved. It also allows a gene or sequence to be deleted or inserted so as to produce animals in which a more precise study can be made of a physiological process, a natural defence system or a disease mechanism. Animals can be genetically altered to become models for human diseases, aiding research into therapies or to be resistant to disease or other adverse conditions which might affect the animal. GA animals provide the potential for investigating, and hopefully finding treatments for, diseases such as cancer, cystic fibrosis and multiple sclerosis.
