Are Animal Models Predictive for Humans?
Author Information
Author(s): Niall Shanks, Ray Greek, Jean Greek
Primary Institution: Wichita State University
Hypothesis
Can animal models, particularly in toxicology and pathophysiology, accurately predict human outcomes?
Conclusion
Animal models generally fail to predict human responses accurately, leading to significant issues in drug development and safety.
Supporting Evidence
- Animal models have shown low predictive power in drug testing, with many drugs failing in human trials despite passing animal tests.
- Studies indicate that only a small percentage of animal-tested drugs are safe for humans.
- Historical examples, such as thalidomide, illustrate the failures of animal models in predicting human outcomes.
Takeaway
The study says that using animals to guess how humans will react to drugs often doesn't work, which can lead to problems when new medicines are made.
Methodology
The article critiques the predictive power of animal models by analyzing various studies and data on drug testing outcomes.
Potential Biases
The authors acknowledge potential bias due to the pharmaceutical industry's involvement in some studies.
Limitations
The study does not provide a comprehensive analysis of all animal models or consider all variables affecting drug responses.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Statistical Significance
p<0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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