Study design
Mouse model
A study system using mice to investigate biology, disease or treatment ideas.
What it means
Definition
Mouse model. Mouse models are common in preclinical research because they are controllable and biologically informative. They cannot prove that the same effect will occur safely and meaningfully in humans.
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 “new cure” headline based only on mice is usually overstated.