Reliability of rodent animal models in biomedical research.
Despite the discrepancies observed between the data generated from humans and animals, it is a usual practice that the results obtained from animal models are extrapolated on humans. This review stresses that while animal models are essential for the research and development, a critical caution needs to be practiced in interpreting the results. Uncritical reliance on the results of animal experimentation can be dangerously misleading and has resulted in damages to human health in several cases. This review also discusses the role of certain confounding factors in using animal models due to which appropriate precautions need to be taken while deciding to conduct a study using animal models and caution is warranted in extrapolating the data obtained from pre-clinical studies on humans.
Rohra
Dileep Kumar
DK
Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, The Aga Khan University, Stadium Road, P.O. Box 3500, Karachi 74800, Pakistan. dileep.rohra@aku.edu
Jawaid
Ali
A
Tauseef-ur-Rehman
Zaidi
Ali Hyder
AH
D000818:Animals; D035843:Biomedical Research; D006801:Humans; D023421:Models, Animal; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012377:Rodentia