[DataDrivenMD]

This reminds me of the time I spent at the NIH conducting research on cancer vaccines. After lots of trial and error, I had finally found something that seemed to prevent lung cancer in mice. I rushed to show my PI the results. He listened intently and asked thoughtful questions. Once I finished, I asked if the findings would be worthy of submitting to Nature.

He looked me straight in the eye and said, “I wouldn’t publish this anywhere, we still have work to do.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“If Nature published every article that purported to cure a human disease based on a mouse model, then I would be next in line for the Nobel Prize,” he replied.

Harsh but true. The challenge of curing human disease cannot be replicated in animal models. At least not yet.

[Amygaz]

I stopped counting how many times we cured any forms of diabetes in various mouse models.

Then there is this thing that bugs me: amount of money spent on finding a treatment vs. preventing type 2 diabetes in the first place. Because 95% of type 2 cases are caused by life style decisions. And as climate change, healthcare costs, covid-19, and other self-inflicted societal crises we prefer to wait until it chronically costs a massive amount of money (add chronic deficit to the list).

[laanako08]

It's worth noting that "lifestyle" decisions, are mostly not decisions. They're based on the systemic implications of a person's class, wealth, and status. If a person has more time, and money, and is of a high-enough class, they will be better educated on self-care and health, will have the time to devote to continually ensuring good health, and will have the money to afford high-quality food and activities. Diabetes is a disease of poverty, not of character failure.

[fred256]

> I stopped counting how many times we cured any forms of diabetes in various mouse models.

A well known joke in the diabetes community: the soonest way to find a cure for diabetes is to figure out how to turn humans into mice.

[root_axis]

> 95% of type 2 cases are caused by life style decisions

Do you have a source for that claim? My understanding is that genetics is the primary risk factor for diabetes.

[bitwize]

There was an "...In Mice" meme about this very topic that was even featured here on Hackernews.