Study design
In vitro study
Research performed outside a living organism, often in cells, tissue or laboratory systems.
What it means
Definition
In vitro study. In vitro work is valuable for early biology and mechanism, but its conditions may not match a living human body. It should not be presented as direct evidence of patient benefit.
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 compound killing cancer cells in a dish is not the same as an effective cancer treatment.