Search Results for "mice studies"
Of mice and men: problems with animal studies highlighted in a new light
John Ioannidis of Stanford and colleagues published an important paper in PLoS Biology, “Evaluation of Excess Significance Bias in Animal Studies of Neurological Diseases.” Summary: “Studies have shown that the results of animal biomedical experiments fail to translate into human clinical trials; this could be attributed either to real differences in the underlying biology between […]
Crazy week of PR & news on studies should teach us how/what to ignore
On Tuesday, it was excitement over vaccine news in 12 monkeys. (Journalism example.) On Wednesday, it was excitement over vaccine news in cells from mice. (National Institutes of Health PR example.) We’re going down the food chain. Today is Thursday. By Friday, we may be getting excited for nematodes that are vaccinated. Let me emphasize: […]
Zika vaccine for brain cancer? PR release headline omits crucial words: ‘in mice’
The release would have benefited from a strong caution that outcomes from research in mice are seldom replicated in human studies.
Zika vaccine shows promise for treating deadly brain cancer
Problematic PR releases: more mice, more muddled messages
In our continuing series on problematic public relations news releases, we add another entry to our category on claims made about animal studies. The reason we’re continuing to hammer away on this issue is that, as you’ll see in these examples, many news releases deliver misleading messages that can easily be misinterpreted by readers. We […]
Problematic PR releases: Health claims based on animal studies
Optimism may be a virtue, but not in news releases on animal studies. As we’ve written, what works in mice doesn’t necessarily work in humans. Yet we often see news releases confidently proclaiming that animal studies portend health claims for people. Take these recent examples with rosy outlooks: Soy diets might increase women’s bone strength from […]
University offers muddled summary of dementia study in mice using ‘healing’ sound waves
This news release focuses on a mouse study of an experimental ultrasound therapy for dementia-like condition in mice. It’s also an example of hype over a therapy with no known benefit in humans.
Treating dementia with the healing waves of sound
Of news releases and mice
Sometimes I wish I were a mouse. If only because they seem to do so well with so many treatments and interventions in medical studies. But I’m not a mouse, so these studies — although they can make important contributions to basic science — usually don’t apply to me (or interested patients) in the here […]
No, an asthma drug tested in mice does not bring ‘new hope’ for Alzheimer’s patients, at least not yet
Use of use of words like “breakthrough” and a phrase suggesting the drug offers “new hope” for patients detract from the cautious aspects of this release.
Temple researchers reverse cognitive impairments in mice with dementia
A breast cancer study in mice gets big headlines, setting up potential for patient ‘disaster,’ experts say
“I spoke to several cancer specialists in New York City last night who said ‘caution, this is not ready for primetime.’” — ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton. That’s the key quote from a recent Good Morning America “Cover Story” segment about a mouse study exploring why breast cancer sometimes spreads in the immediate months […]
5-Star Friday: Drugs, mice, and money
I doubt a week goes by at HealthNewsReview.org that we don’t write about one of the following … … drugs, mice, or money. You could rightly accuse me of being predictable when I say that following the money has gotten trickier in health care journalism; that pharma as a lobbyist makes the auto industry of […]
Making sense of news based on animal studies: An update to our toolkit
A chemical compound can “reverse aging” in mice, many news outlets recently reported, including ABC News, TIME, STAT, and The Boston Globe. “Reports have suggested that this might someday lead to a new drug for human use,” ABC News speculated. The Boston Globe told us the lead scientist thinks the compound “could not only restore energy and vitality in […]
Small study in mice wrongly claimed to advance human alcoholism treatment
Only human clinical trials can show if animal results will be ever be replicated in people.
Drug shown to reverse brain deficits caused by alcohol
Animal studies, reported well, include careful framing and clear caveats
Here at HealthNewsReview.org, we’ve been known to be critical of news articles making health care claims that are based on research in animals. For recent examples, see these news story reviews: Invasive weed kills superbugs? All we know is it might work in mice WaPo story generalizes findings of small study on mice to pregnant […]
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Of mice and “man flu”
Spreading like a virus on steroids, a BMJ feature article about the “man flu” shows there is now “science” behind the claim that men seem to have worse symptoms–and may be justified in complaining about them more vocally and persistently than women–when suffering from colds or the flu. Generating stories in Newsweek, CNN, LA Times, […]
With a growing number of trials exploring intermittent fasting in people it’s not clear what this mice study brings to the table
How many mice and how much did they lose compared to controls? These key questions aren’t addressed. Not is there a caution that mice studies are rarely replicated in human trials.
