COVID-19 highlights the model dilemma in biomedical research
Open accessAbstract
Scientists worldwide struggle to identify suitable animal models to study SARS-CoV-2 infections. Interspecies-related differences, such as host specificity, divergent immune responses, or the unavailability of species-specific reagents hamper the research. Human-based models, such as micro-engineered multi-organs-on-chip, may hold the solution.
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Biomedical research is shifting toward human disease models because current drug development has high failure rates.
“Biomedical research is undergoing a paradigm shift towards approaches centred on human disease models owing to the notoriously high failure rates of the current drug development process.”
From Human disease models in drug development (2023) · cites this paper as [1]
The Abstract links poorly predictive animal models to high clinical-trial failure rates and says researchers are calling for a shift toward human-centred approaches. It does not establish that biomedical research is already undergoing that shift; the section on available preclinical models says the impact of human-based models remains low. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredHuman disease models can aid discovery of disease mechanisms, as shown by systems created during COVID-19.
“Human disease models can facilitate the process as evidenced by ad hoc systems that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic1.”
From Human disease models in drug development (2023) · cites this paper as [1]
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- Authors
- Adhikary, P. P., Ul Ain, Q., Hocke, A. C., & Hedtrich, S.
- Affiliations
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Hedtrich, Sarah
- Venue
- Nature Reviews Materials
- Published
- 2021-03-17
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 374-376
- ISSN
- 2058-8437 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7967778
- OpenAlex
- W3136469856
- Cited by
- 25
- References
- 10
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 1
- FWCI
- 1.14
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Nature Reviews Materials (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- MDC Repository (Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine) (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB‐TR84)
- Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
- University of British Columbia
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (COVID-19, CIHR PJT-166035)
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (RGPIN 2020, rgpin-2020-04224, 2020-04224)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › 3D Printing in Biomedical Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Animal testing and alternatives
- Keywords
- COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2, animal models, species differences, host specificity, immune response, organ-on-a-chip
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