Kim Basinger
Basinger and Animal Rights
Kim Basinger, ex-wife of Alec Baldwin,
is a notable PETA spokesperson. She has publicly denounced the value
of animal research and its role in developing treatments and therapies
for life-threatening afflictions.
During the summer of 1997, Basinger attracted
international media attention for her attempt to pressure a New
Jersey laboratory to discontinue research aimed at advancing scientific
understanding of osteoporosis. Basinger, with PETA’s help,
protested Huntingdon Life Sciences Corporation against a proposed
experiment on dogs specially bred for research that would have tested
the effectiveness of a new medicine to treat the debilitating disease.
1
Basinger’s support for the animal rights ideology was also
demonstrated by her participation as co-host of PETA’s 1996
Animals Ball and Humanitarian Awards Gala. 2
Her opposition to the use of animals for medical experimentation
was clear during an interview she granted the television broadcast
program “Extra… The Entertainment Magazine,” in
which she stated:
"It’s [animal research] outdated. And it’s our ethical responsibility to really catch up with new technology, and there is technology out there.” 3
The Washington Post also characterized Basinger as an “unalterable opponent of medical research on animals,” quoting her as saying:
"I don’t believe in any kind of experimentation on animals… It’s all about money, that’s all it is.” 4
Basinger and Disease Research
|
In honor of Carol Baldwin, the mother of actor Alec Baldwin and a survivor of breast cancer, Basinger attended an October 1997 star-studded fund raiser that raised more than $500,000 for breast cancer research at a facility in New York. 5, 6 The facility uses animals in conducting its breast cancer research. (Read more Alec Baldwin's profile.) Basinger was also characterized by the Sunday Times (London) as one of many Hollywood celebrities “who profess strong support for AIDS causes but who are also active campaigners against animal research.” 7 |
"...As someone who has seen my entire peer group die, that's hard for me to swallow." –
Gary Rose |
Disease Research Breakthroughs
Made Possible by Animal Research
Scientists have developed medications intended to stop malignancy
by disarming a rogue cancer gene, an approach that could help control
many tumors. The novel strategy is intended to block a gene (called
neu) that is involved in about 30 percent of breast cancer cases.
Experiments have so far been conducted in mice that have been “genetically
manipulated to develop a form of cancer indistinguishable from neu-related
breast cancer in people.” 8
Scientists have developed a genetically altered strain of mice that produce human version of monoclonal antibodies. If they work in people, they could act as “magic bullets” against tumors without hurting normal cells and without being rejected as foreign by the immune system. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the medical implications of the studies were “stupendous”. 9
In March 1996, two reports were released that “taken together… provide strong, albeit preliminary, evidence” that the breast cancer gene, named BRCA1, provides an“important clue to treating many or all forms of breast cancer”. One of the studies “showed that a healthy version of the gene can block the advance of cancer when the gene is introduced into human tumors grafted onto laboratory mice.” 10
Researchers have found a way to improve bonding between the steel of a hip implant and the human bone. Through test with dogs, the researchers developed a “better surface structure and composition on the surface of cobalt steel implants so that they bond better with the human femur and do not fail as frequently.” 11
Impact of Breast Cancer / Osteoporosis
In 1998, the projected number of new breast cancer cases is over
180,300, with an estimated death toll of 43,900. 12
An estimated 10 million Americans are currently diagnosed as suffering
from osteoporosis. An additional 18 million have what is considered
“low bone mass,” making them extremely susceptible to
the disease. 13
References
1. Associated Press, September 17, 1997.
2. Paramount Pictures Press Brief, November 20, 1996.
3. "Extra ... The Entertainment Magazine," December 16, 1996.
4. The Washington Post, April 25, 1997.
7. Sunday Times (London), January 19, 1997.
8. New York Times, April 6, 1993.
9. Washington Post, April 28, 1994.
10. Wall Street Journal, March 1, 1996.
11. Animal Health News and Feature Tips, AVMA, Summer/Fall 1996.
12. "Cancer Facts and Figures – 1998," American Cancer Society.
13. "Fast Facts on Osteoporosis," National Osteoporosis Foundation, June, 1997.