ReviewAnimal models and experimental medicine2026
Animal models in molecular biology research: Challenges, ethical imperatives, and the path to human-relevant translation.
Review in Animal models and experimental medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Bridging Scales: Integrating Hyaluronan-Based Nanoencapsulation into 3D Hydrogel Constructs for Advanced Therapeutics-A Comprehensive Review.Gels (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- The 5% Problem: How the Biomedical Community Responded to the Animal-to-Human Translation Crisis, and the Case for Non-Animal Methods.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Experimental animal models have historically been pivotal in molecular biology, providing insights into gene function, disease causes, and therapeutic advancements. However, their translational relevance is increasingly scrutinized due to interspecies variations, ethical dilemmas, and restricted reproducibility. The objective of this study is to critically analyze the obstacles and ethical considerations related to animal models in molecular biology, while highlighting the promise of human-relevant and combinatorial techniques to enhance translational outcomes. A narrative synthesis of literature published from 2013 to 2025 was performed via PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Research focusing on model development, translational obstacles, ethical implications, and disease-specific applications-encompassing neurodegenerative, metabolic, oncological, hepatic, renal, and pain models-was prioritized. Animal models are indispensable but insufficient for precisely mirroring human disease. Principal challenges include species variability, infrastructural limitations, and insufficient reproducibility. Innovative approaches such as humanized models, organoids, and CRISPR/Cas9 technologies, when combined with rigorous methodologies, controlled heterogeneity, and ethical safeguards, offer a means to improve the predictability and reliability of preclinical research. Progress in molecular biology needs to include strict planning, long-lasting infrastructure, and new ideas from interdisciplinary fields. Integrating human-relevant and combinatorial approaches can improve the scientific integrity and ethical underpinning of biomedical research.
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Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.