Is it ethical to do biomedical research with animals to improve the health of others? People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and other groups that oppose studies of this kind, are unequivocal in their belief that it is not. These groups continue to have a powerful influence over the feelings and beliefs of millions of people worldwide, including celebrities, lawmakers, educators, and media reporters with their own spheres of influence over public opinion. And their guidance may not serve us all equally. Our guests today are Trina and Pam, both mothers of sons with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) - and both animal lovers. As you will hear, research on DMD with animals is important to them for a variety of reasons. Is it possible to love animals and also support their use in biomedical research? We know what PETA believes, but are unequivocal positions about the ethics of animal research realistic for the rest of us? Please drop me a line after the episode at: getrealpodcast.info. I’d love to know your thoughts.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: facts, research and therapeutic progress

Description, symptoms, causes, and life expectancy

Treatments in development and in clinical trials

Overview of Duchenne therapeutic pipeline

PETA’s protests of DMD research

PETA Pressure Ends Texas A&M Dog Breeding Program

PETA protests animal testing during TAMU Board of Regents Meeting

Paul McCartney asks Texas A&M to stop muscular dystrophy testing on golden retrievers

PETA protests breeding of dogs with dystrophy for research at UPenn

PETA protests dog research at MU

PETA spokesperson: Activists arrested at MSU football game drawing attention ‘the best way they knew how’

Richard Linklater and PETA Fight Texas A&M’s Experiments on Dogs With Muscular Dystrophy — Exclusive

James Cromwell of 'Babe' Arrested at PETA Protest at Texas Animal Testing Lab