title: Reproducibility Issues: Avoiding Pitfalls in Animal Inflammation Models.
abstract: In light of an enhanced awareness of ethical questions and ever increasing costs when working with animals in biomedical research, there is a dedicated and sometimes fierce debate concerning the (lack of) reproducibility of animal models and their relevance for human inflammatory diseases. Despite evident advancements in searching for alternatives, that is, replacing, reducing, and refining animal experiments-the three R's of Russel and Burch (1959)-understanding the complex interactions of the cells of the immune system, the nervous system and the affected tissue/organ during inflammation critically relies on in vivo models. Consequently, scientific advancement and ultimately novel therapeutic interventions depend on improving the reproducibility of animal inflammation models. As a prelude to the remaining hands-on protocols described in this volume, here, we summarize potential pitfalls of preclinical animal research and provide resources and background reading on how to avoid them.
authors.affiliation: Section Medical Physiology, Department of Neuroscience, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, NL-9713 AV, Groningen, The Netherlands. j.d.laman@umcg.nl.
authors.forename: Jon D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Laman
authors.affiliation: Section Medical Physiology, Department of Neuroscience, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, NL-9713 AV, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Susanne M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kooistra
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Straße 67, Mainz, D-55131, Germany. bclausen@uni-mainz.de.
authors.forename: Björn E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Clausen
mesh_terms: D032761:Animal Experimentation / Q000941:ethics*; D000826:Animal Testing Alternatives / Q000941:ethics / Q000379:methods; D000827:Animal Welfare / Q000941:ethics; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015507:Drugs, Investigational / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012107:Research Design; D018401:Sample Size
chemical_list: D015507:Drugs, Investigational
keywords: Animal models; Immunity; Inflammation; Lymphocytes; Microbiome; Microbiota; Myeloid cells; Publication bias; Randomization; Repeatability; Replication; Reproducibility; Research assessment; Robustness; Statistics; Transgenic artifact