title: Systems biology in alternatives: the importance of human-based studies.
abstract: The aim of research in the FRAME Alternatives Laboratory at the University of Nottingham Medical School is summarised, i.e. to use human cell culture-based projects and in vivo studies in human volunteers as alternatives to the use of rodent models in the study of human disease. This is especially important when the available animal models do not adequately represent the pathophysiological situation in humans. The approach is exemplified by summaries of studies on the effects of starvation on skeletal muscle in human volunteers, and on lipid metabolism in obese female volunteers.
authors.affiliation: FRAME Alternatives Laboratory, University of Nottingham Medical School, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK. Andrew.Bennett@nottingham.ac.uk
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bennett
mesh_terms: D000826:Animal Testing Alternatives / Q000941:ethics* / Q000592:standards; D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006224:Cricetinae; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology; D033281:Nontherapeutic Human Experimentation / Q000941:ethics* / Q000592:standards; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D013045:Species Specificity; D013217:Starvation / Q000503:physiopathology; D049490:Systems Biology / Q000379:methods*