Study design
Animal study
Research performed in animals rather than humans.
What it means
Definition
Animal study: Animal studies can reveal mechanisms and early safety signals. They cannot by themselves prove human benefit or human risk.
What it can tell you
It can show how close the evidence is to a real human health outcome.
What it cannot tell you
It cannot prove that a treatment works in people unless human outcome data are available.
Headline trap
Why this matters in headlines
A treatment that improves memory in mice may fail in human dementia trials.