How can we improve the model systems we use for biomedical research? http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/the_mouse_trap/2011/11/lab_mice_are_they_limiting_our_understanding_of_human_disease_.html (via +Kyle Barbour).
I understand and sympathize with the momentum argument; there really
are a huge number of variables to consider when selecting a model
organism, and leveraging past results lends very powerful support to the
conclusions one wants to draw from current work. That said, it's worth
thinking hard about what better animal models as well as, from a humane
rather than scientific perspective, acceptable in vitro systems with
good predictive power. This is a point raised recently by Don Ganem in a
talk at USCF. We're really bad at working out results in vitro that
are predictive of in vivo activity. After reading the Slate article I'm
left wondering how much that problem stems from inappropriate animal
models and how much from misleading in vitro methods.
(cross-posted from google+)
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