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To the Editor: Most medical therapies in use today were initially developed and tested in animals,¹ yet animal experiments often fail to replicate when tested in rigorous human trials.^2-3 We conducted a systematic review to determine how often highly cited animal studies translate into successful human research.

Methods

The 7 leading scientific journals by citation impact factor (Journal Citation Reports, Thomson Scientific, Philadelphia, Pa, 2004) that regularly publish original animal studies were searched: Science, Nature, Cell, Nature Medicine, Nature Genetics, Nature Immunology, and Nature Biotechnology. Articles with more than 500 citations were retrieved under the assumption that such prominent findings would more likely be tested in subsequent human trials.⁴ A total of 2000 articles published between 1980 and 2000 were screened, reflecting advances in molecular biology and recombinant genetics. Articles were included if they investigated a preventive or therapeutic intervention in an in vivo animal model. When there . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Daniel G. Hackam, MD
Daniel.Hackam@ices.on.ca

Donald A. Redelmeier, MD, MSHSR
Department of Medicine
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario

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