Is mouse a good model for studying human diseases? - (Dec/09/2005 )
My PI hates the concept of mouse models for studying human diseases. Wanted to know what you guys feel? Can mouse be used as a model system for studying human diseases like cancer etc?
(over that using immuno compromised, lethally irradiated, knocked-out, knocked-in etc) 
Okay, great.
Your PI hates mice as a model for studying human disease.
Well, what does he want to use? Humans? Monkeys? Pigs?
The above are large, expensive to house and it appears there are a lot of ethical issues surrounding the use of humans as experimental models *shrug*
I suppose he can try to rely on computer models... however accurate that is. Sorta like going on vacation by clicking on the web as far as I am concerned.
Mice are mammals, they are small, easy to manipulate, cheap (relatively) and reproduce like crazy.
You can use cells, but immortal cell lines are going to tell you only so much about physiology. It is not like HepG2 cells mimic an intact liver.
The mouse as a model is a place to start to learn what is going on in humans. It is by no means perfect, but it can give you an indication as to whether or not an experimental idea has merit and worth persuit.
If you have cancer, you can use yourself as a subject of the cancer experiment and find a cure for the cancer.
What if it is a chit chat room. Still Minnie Mouse please have some manners.
in some cases, aren't rats better models?
ok to use mices. double knock out, tissue specific.... 
Some researcher use themselves as subject of the experiment, such as asthma. A researcher proposed that if you have worm in the stomach, then the asthma will go away. Therefore, he ate some worm and his asthma disappeared.
I don't know whether it is true or not.
My PI is against mouse model for studying human diseases doent mean she wants to do it on humans. But after doing research in Whitehead and publishing a paper where she distinguishes the difference between the genetic elements required for tumerigenesis in human and mouse I feel she has a strong point.
it all depends on the disease. I see your point, Molonco, if the disease doesn't progress the same way in mus as it does in homo
if the animal model is not a good model for your work, then why use it? but I also agree that cells in a dish will only get you so far. I suppose it really depends on what exactly you are studying and how close your model gets