Posted on 02/11/2013 6:58:20 PM PST by neverdem
For decades, mice have been the species of choice in the study of human diseases. But now, researchers report stunning evidence that the mouse model has been totally misleading for at least three major killers — sepsis, burns and trauma. As a result, years and billions of dollars have been wasted following false leads, they say.
The study does not mean that mice are useless models for all human diseases. But, its authors said, it does raise troubling questions about diseases like the ones in the study that involve the immune system, including cancer and...
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“That started us thinking,” he continued. “Is it the same in the mouse or not?”
The group decided to look, expecting to find some similarities. But when the data were analyzed, there were none at all.
“We were kind of blown away,” Dr. Davis said.
The drug failures became clear. For example, often in mice, a gene would be used, while in humans, the comparable gene would be suppressed. A drug that works in mice by disabling that gene could make the response even more deadly in humans.
Even more surprising, Dr. Warren said, was that different conditions in mice — burns, trauma, sepsis — did not fit the same pattern. Each condition used different groups of genes. In humans, though, similar genes were used in all three conditions. That means, Dr. Warren said, that if researchers can find a drug that works for one of those conditions in people, the same drug might work for all three...
--snip--
Yet there was always one major clue that mice might not really mimic humans in this regard: it is very hard to kill a mouse with a bacterial infection. Mice need a million times more bacteria in their blood than what would kill a person...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
If this mouse model were not so ubiquitous, this would be funny! This paper came none too soon, Guess what? Animal lovers want to retire primates from future studies!
NIH sends chimps to sanctuary with help from animal activists
4 for 4 and it’s still February.
What’s 4 for 4?
DemocRATs are a close approximation of rodents, apart from the lack of a brain, heart, and spine. Suitable replacement model?
“DemocRATs are a close approximation of rodents, apart from the lack of a brain, heart, and spine.”
DemocRATs have an evil brain, an evil heart, and a WHOLE LOT more SPINE than the totally spineless idiots on the Pubbie side of the isle.
The mice lied?
Add TB to the list.
FReepmail me if you want on or off my combined microbiology/immunology ping list.
Imagine that. Humans are not mice.
But, I'm not a complainer. )
But, I'm not a complainer. ;^)
Good thing I’m not a complainer if I’m going to double post.
Thanks for catching my error!
4 dead on science predictions from at least 10-20 years ago. Many more on the way to here down through the years that have already been proven and more coming, but there have been four just this month alone.
Hardraade is a witness to these predictions, some he wrote down and some were on a science blog I used to post.
I thought it was pretty well known for decades that animal testing had serious limitations, could only be used for specific mapping, and that any results were uncertain until human trials were completed. What’s new about this “discovery”?
Always seemed to me mice were very susceptible to cancer.
The mouse test was the creation of Dr. Ames. In the journal Science (lead journal in USA), quite a number of years ago, Dr. Ames caused to be published a quarter page sidebar which said that while his test could predict with high accuracy that which induced cancer in mice, it could not predict what those same agents would cause in any other species.
Note the “any other species” phrase.
Science in America, like all areas where the Feral Gubment intruded, has degenerated.
The Guru suggests science be funded by local sources, not the Federal Gubment.
The Guru also recommends reducing Federal taxes and thus leaving what tax revenues now wastefully squandered by Fedzilla funding mechanisms in the tax payers control. sOd doing will assure that research once again will have a multiplicity of funding sources.
Fedzilla ‘single source’ funding has worked as well in science as it will in medicine under ObamaCare.
NEWS FLASH!
Scientists agree to end use of animals for experimental subjects.
PETA is pleased.
Prominent scientists have agreed on a new laboratory protocol to completely stop all use of animals in all laboratory tests.
Two new experimental subjects were approved:
1. Lawyers(lawyers in all areas of practice are included).
2. Liberals(collectivists such as Democrats, commies, enviros, socialists, fascists, statists, goonion members.
Here, the Author brings to the readers attention the conflict of interest causing the Academented to exclude themselves from the above listed experimental subject pool despite the prevalence of rank collectivism in their population.
The scientists claimed their reasons were purely scientific. Animal rights based pseudo-philosophy was said to have played no part in this momentous decision. All scientists agreed upon three reasons for the new experimental protocol.
They defined the reasons for the new experimental protocols as follows:
1. The supply of lawyers is far greater than the supply of rats.
2. Scientists agree - there are some things rats just won’t do.
3. Unlike lab rats, scientists do not get attached to the new subject.
Now, you know the rest of the story.
From the abstract: "Systematic studies evaluating how well murine models mimic human inflammatory diseases are nonexistent."
Mouse Models Fail to Reproduce Inflammatory Genomic Response to Serious Injuries
The press release linked above gives more particulars.
Part of the inflammatory response is the recruitment of cells of the innate immune system.
Now they have some insight into why billion dollar clinical trails were such spectacular flops. Fundamental assumptions about genetics and genomics in immunology and their differences between species were flawed. A lot of studies using rats and mice that had genes knocked out, i.e. deleted, can be called into question.
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