Genetically Altering Pigs to Find Cure for Cystic Fibrosis

This is an example of how animal research can lead to tremendous alleviation of human suffering. Pigs are being genetically altered to have CF and cloned for use in research. From the story:

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is triggered when a person inherits two copies of a faulty gene carried by about one in 25 of the population. The disorder causes widespread damage to internal organs, especially the lungs and gut, by clogging them with thick, sticky mucus.

Now a team at the University of Missouri has developed a pig which appears to closely mimic the disease. The striking similarities suggest that the pigs will help improve understanding and may also speed discovery of new treatments.

Animal rights activists would say that the pigs lives are as important and valuable as all those people with cystic fibrosis, and hence, this kind of research should not be done. They are wrong.