A new report published inthe journal  Alternatives to Laboratory Animals (ATLA) identifies the limitations of animal experiments to do research on type 2 diabetes mellitus and proposes human-based research which can improve translation to human medicine.

 

 

The exact origins of the disease are still not known and treatment options are limited. Animal methods have proven to be inadequate to impact the course, outcomes, and endemic spread of diabetes. The reason for this is that animal models differ significantly from humans and even other animal models at every level of biology, from molecules to organs to species.

Alternatively, a combination of in vitro, in vivo, and in silico technologies are promising means that can be better utilized to advance the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of type 2 diabetes in humans.

Read on:
http://www.pcrm.org/media/news/type-2-diabetes-research-held-back-by-animal-models-human-based-research-provides-a-path-forward