Talk:In vivo studies

Archived from Science guidelines

The type of biological sample used in the study can have a dramatic effect on whether or not the results of the study are accurate for human beings. The following are displayed from least to most applicable to human beings.

1. In vivo: In vivo studies refer to any study performed on tissues, cells, or organs within the living organism:
   1. In an organism not a mammal The results of these studies, even perfectly performed, may have very little relationship to what might occur in a human being
   2. In a mammal but not a human While rat and mouse studies are very common, and may lead to greater insight into biological processes, rat and mouse physiology differs significantly from that of human physiology. The immune system in particular is very different in a mouse versus a human.
   3. In a human When possible, always look for studies performed in human beings rather than in any other category. In Pubmed, after you search for a topic you will see a list of modifiers scrolling down the left-hand side of your page. One of these will say Species: Humans. By clicking on this, you will only see studies performed on human cell lines, tissues, or on humans in vivo.