4 ms·

You say that tongue in cheek, but as a non-scientist, I've always wondered how much "mouse science" ultimately translates to humans. My guess is it's very low,

You say that tongue in cheek, but as a non-scientist, I've always wondered how much "mouse science" ultimately translates to humans. My guess is it's very low, but knowing a percentage would help me better understand how to proceed reports like this.

moioci 11y ago
Not all that low: https://www.genome.gov/10001345 https://www.genome.gov/10001345
jules 11y ago
It depends on what kind of science it is. Mice are very very similar to humans at a chemical level. They have a similar genome, their bodies are basically the same as ours, they have the same organs, the same blood, the same cells, and the same chemical processes happen in those cells. They are just a bit smaller and arranged in a different way. That explains why scientists use mice as models for humans at all. However, with diseases that happen mostly in the elderly like Alzheimer's and cancer it's not so clear. Mice die at a young age, before those diseases really happen. Mice have to be genetically manipulated to develop those diseases. The development of those artificially caused diseases may not be the same as the development of those diseases in humans. The mice also still have a young body despite having the disease. This makes healing them a lot easier.
pbnjay 11y ago
Mice are ~30% similar genetically to humans, so a surprising amount of transfers. Rats are a bit more similar IIRC, but mice breed quicker so it's easier to do bigger studies... Source: Used to work in mouse research on addiction (alcohol, cocaine, nicotine, etc). Edit: This link gives even more specifics on the similarity: https://www.genome.gov/10001345 https://www.genome.gov/10001345 -- 30% is probably accurate, but in terms of function, it's even higher.
- sliverstorm 11y ago
  30% similar? Didn't we find that bananas share 50% of genes with humans?
  - plg 11y ago
    that would explain a lot
jerf 11y ago
If it were that low, we would not use them as models. Also bear in mind that mouse models are merely part of a large set of animal models that we use: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_model_organisms#Vertebrates https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_model_organisms#Verteb...

moioci 11y ago

Not all that low: https://www.genome.gov/10001345 https://www.genome.gov/10001345

jules 11y ago

It depends on what kind of science it is. Mice are very very similar to humans at a chemical level. They have a similar genome, their bodies are basically the same as ours, they have the same organs, the same blood, the same cells, and the same chemical processes happen in those cells. They are just a bit smaller and arranged in a different way. That explains why scientists use mice as models for humans at all. However, with diseases that happen mostly in the elderly like Alzheimer's and cancer it's not so clear. Mice die at a young age, before those diseases really happen. Mice have to be genetically manipulated to develop those diseases. The development of those artificially caused diseases may not be the same as the development of those diseases in humans. The mice also still have a young body despite having the disease. This makes healing them a lot easier.

pbnjay 11y ago

Mice are ~30% similar genetically to humans, so a surprising amount of transfers. Rats are a bit more similar IIRC, but mice breed quicker so it's easier to do bigger studies... Source: Used to work in mouse research on addiction (alcohol, cocaine, nicotine, etc). Edit: This link gives even more specifics on the similarity: https://www.genome.gov/10001345 https://www.genome.gov/10001345 -- 30% is probably accurate, but in terms of function, it's even higher.

sliverstorm 11y ago
30% similar? Didn't we find that bananas share 50% of genes with humans?
- plg 11y ago
  that would explain a lot

jerf 11y ago

If it were that low, we would not use them as models. Also bear in mind that mouse models are merely part of a large set of animal models that we use: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_model_organisms#Vertebrates https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_model_organisms#Verteb...