246 Is the Murine Dextran Sodium Sulfate-Induced Colitis Model Valid for Predicting Drug Efficacy in IBD?

A ‘Road Map’ toward Ending Severe Suffering of Animals Used in Research and Testing

“…For instance, a severe model may be used to assess the potential therapeutic value of a new drug, but this would have little benefit if the model had poor predictive value. [9][10][11][12] As an example, the dextran sodium sulphate (DSS) colitis model in mice may be useful for understanding the underlying mechanisms and pathology of intestinal inflammation, much of which may be relevant to human colitis, but candidate drug molecules that ameliorate DSS-induced inflammation in the mouse may not be effective in clinical trials and vice versa (13). It would be very difficult to justify causing severe suffering for such a tenuous benefit.…”

Animal Models of Colitis: Lessons Learned, and Their Relevance to the Clinic

“…Such evidence is still lacking, and it has also been observed that the acetic acid and TNBS models may have significant limitations in understanding events that initiate inflammation of the intestine in human IBD (Yamada et al, 1992). More recently, the relevance of the DSS-induced model has also been questioned (Petersen et al, 2009). To balance this, it should be noted that ulcerative disease of the colon can be caused by ingestion of certain chemical compounds in at least four different animal species, which suggests that this mechanism should not be completely disregarded with respect to human disease.…”

“…There is an apparent lack of integration of mouse model data into the clinical setting, a so-called "missing link" between models and clinic (Petersen et al, 2009). This is seen in the conclusions to many studies incorporating such models, or indeed articles reviewing the use of these models, which tend to finish with statements referring to future, rather than current, therapeutic advances.…”