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A cornerstone of modern biomedical research is the use of mouse models to explore basic pathophysiological mechanisms, evaluate new therapeutic approaches, and make go or no-go decisions to carry new drug candidates forward into clinical trials. Systematic studies evaluating how well murine models mimic human inflammatory diseases are nonexistent. Here, we show that, although acute inflammatory stresses from different etiologies result in highly similar genomic responses in humans, the responses in corresponding mouse models correlate poorly with the human conditions and also, one another.

The mouse is a common model used in research as a way of studying human biology and diseases, but a new study questions whether this is an accurate approach considering some stark differences - aside from many similarities - between the two species.

The mouse is the leading organism for disease research. A rich resource of genetic variation occurs naturally in inbred and special strains owing to spontaneous mutations. However, one can also obtain desired gene mutations by using the following processes: targeted mutations that eliminate function in the whole organism or in a specific tissue; forward genetic screens using chemicals or transposons; or the introduction of exogenous transgenes as DNAs, bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) or reporter constructs. The mouse is the only mammal that provides such a rich resource of genetic diversity coupled with the potential for extensive genome manipulation, and is therefore a powerful application for modeling human disease.

Species like yeast, flies, fish and mice have many genes in common with humans and are therefore considered 'model organisms' and are widely used in research to study human genes and human diseases. Mouse research has lead to major advances in our ability to treat a number of serious diseases and conditions.

Mouse study fingers potential cause of fertility problems, proposing obesity and egg quality link.

While humans and mice look and act very differently, 85 to 90 percent of our genes are the same or similar. So if scientists can understand the instructions in every mouse gene, people will get a good idea of the instructions in virtually every human gene as well.

" An anti-cancer drug reverses memory deficits in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health researchers confirm in the journal Science."

Immune cells in mice with lupus symptoms have overactive metabolisms, so scientists inhibited two metabolic pathways and succeeded in reversing lupus symptoms in mice

de Villena and his colleagues counted the RNA molecules produced and found that genes from the father produced on average more RNA than genes from the mother. (And remember, RNA directs the production of proteins, which are the workhorses of the body's development and function.) The implication? "It's not only what you inherit, but from whom you inherit," he said.