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Why do researchers work with mice?

What's more effective: human or animal studies? What is being done to improve the medical yield from mouse-based research? What does the mouse teach us that we can’t learn from yeast, worms, insects and fish? Why do we need mice when we can test drugs on human cells and tissues?

Isn't there a high rate of clinical failure for drugs tested in mice? Why are mice excellent models for humans? How did the lab mouse come to be? What regulatory bodies govern what we can do with mice?

Why do we still need to test on mice when we can just use computers? What is the future of mouse-based research? What is a mouse model? Why do we need mice for medical research?

Why do we still need mouse models if human patients already provide large amounts of medical data? Why mouse genetics? How can research in mice lead to new ways to prevent and treat disease? How can the public be assured that researchers are using mice in a responsible way?

View all questions

Why do researchers work with mice?

Isn't there a high rate of clinical failure for drugs tested in mice?
Computer models for biology are sophisticated and accurate. Why do we still need to test on mice when we can just use computers?
We are getting large amounts of medical data from human patients. Why do we still need to use mouse models to develop precise treatments for humans?
What's more effective: human or animal studies?
Why are mice considered excellent models for humans?
What is the future of mouse-based research? Will researchers still be using them 10 or 15 years from today?
Why mouse genetics?
I read about research findings in mice that don’t work in humans. What is being done to improve the medical yield from mouse-based research?
How did the lab mouse come to be?
What is a mouse model?
How can research in mice lead to new ways to prevent and treat disease?
What does the mouse teach us that we can’t learn from yeast, worms, insects and fish?
What regulatory bodies govern what we can do with mice? With other animals? Why doesn’t the USDA cover mice and rats?
I've heard we can grow human organs in the lab, why do we need mice for medical research?
How can the public be assured that researchers are using mice in a responsible way?
Why do we need to test drugs on mice when we can test on human cells and tissues?