Ethics can be describes as a system of moral principles, rules and standard of conducts.

It
provides the guidelines for human conducts. One of the ethical issues in immunology is about the
use of animal for a research toward human diseases. The used of animal for a scientific research
becomes a great discussion among the scientist throughout the world. They questioned about the
effectiveness of using animal for research, is it animal biological is same with human? Or is it
the affect of diseases towards animal is same to human?
However, many of those opposed to animal research argue that the result from animal
cannot be reliably applied to human because of the biologically differences between human and
animal. Anti-animal research proponent also argue that despite all the testing that is done in
animal, drugs and medicines still cause adverse reaction in many people. Although there is lots
of controversy about using animal in scientific research, it is undeniable that many different
species of animal are used for research purpose such as, rats and mice (rodents), pigs, chicken,
guinea pig and etc. some of this animal have been used in research because of their biology that
are near to human. For example a research that used a pig. Pigs are used in transplantation
research mainly because they have similar sized organs to humans. They also breed very rapidly,
which suggests that they could (theoretically) be used to supply transplant material for humans
on a large scale. This process of transplanting pig organs into humans is known as
xenotransplantation. The issue is, because of pig is not closely related to human, and by
transplanting their organs to human might cause a problem to human body. Our body would
induce a huge immune response, causing the organ to be automatically rejected and it will cause
die.

Another issue is the most longest-standing moral objection to biological research has
been the use of live animals. The concept that humans are inherently more important than
animals thus rendering it morally acceptable to cause pain and suffering and death to animals
remains a highly contentious issue. A key matter of concern relates to whether the animals used
for research, possess high cognitive capacities i.e. feel pleasure and pain. Higher
organisms/mammals that are self-aware would find suffering and death painful and would be
able to sense that damage is being done to his or her self and future. Within the immunological
field, the use of primates in HIV/AIDS research and pigs in transplantation research is a
particularly contentious topic for this reason. Furthermore, developments in xenotransplantation
research that could lead to pigs and other animals being used for human organ transplantation
concern many people because of the increased opportunities for zoonotic infections.
The debate on animal research can get so heated that the facts can be lost. Animals cannot
and should not be used unnecessarily in research, or allowed to experience avoidable suffering.
The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 enshrines these principles in law, and has at its
centre the three Rs : replacement, refinement and reduction.
The three Rs at a glance are replacement, refinement and reduction. Replacement of
protectedanimals which is all living vertebrates except humans in research with alternative
techniques, lower species, or avoiding animal use all together. Refinement of scientific
procedures to minimise animal suffering, enhancing welfare of animals throughout their lives in
the animal house, as well as in research situations. Reduction of the number of animals used by
obtaining more information from the same number of animals, or the same amount of
information from fewer animals.

The law requires animals are only used when the information cannot be obtained in
another way, and the results will be sufficienly important to justify the use of animals. For
example, the UK is the only country in the world to have both local and national controls running
at the same time. Three separate license are required for animal procedures. Researchers adhere
to ethical, scientific and legal guidelines, requiring that laboratory animals are treated well and
used in minimum numbers. The law only will only allow them to use animals in research when it
is completely unavoidable. Good animal welfare is not ethically right, bu is good science. Its
also against the law for any researcher to cause unnecessary suffering to any animal.
Under these circumstances the role of using animal in immunological research becomes
especially important. Opinion polls consistently show that around three-quarters of the UK
public agree that animal research is necessary to advance medicine. All major scientific and
medical organisations around the world agree that animal research is crucial for understanding
of the body in health and disease and for the development and testing of new medical treatments.
Antivivisection groups and animal rights extremists share an ideological opposition to any use of
animals in research, but use different tactics. Animal rights extremists use criminal tactics to
frighten researhers into stopping work. For example, most of the extremist in the UK have now
been jailed for their campaign of harrassment and intimidation.

Source :
http://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/?gclid=CKD1o8DA9bACFZEX6wodfFW0Ng