Promise and pitfalls of animal models of schizophrenia.
Animal models are indispensible tools for advancing understanding of the cause of any given disease and developing new treatments. Developing animal models for schizophrenia presents formidable challenges owing to the distinctively human nature of the symptoms that define it and the thus-far-obscured underlying biological mechanisms. Nevertheless, progress has been and continues to be made in this important field of endeavor. This article discusses the challenges facing investigators who seek to develop and use animal models for translational research in schizophrenia and the responses that have emerged to those challenges, as well as the likely pathways that will lead to future progress.
Feifel
David
D
Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 200 West Arbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92103-8218, USA. dfeifel@ucsd.edu
Shilling
Paul D
PD
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D012559:Schizophrenia; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical