Biologists have successfully extended the life spans of some mice by as much as 70%, leading many to believe that ongoing experimentation on our mammalian cousins will eventually lead to life-extending therapies in humans. But how reliable are these studies? And do they really apply to humans? We asked the experts.
Before we get into the scientific evidence, it’s important that we do a bit of reality check. Animal models, and mouse models in particular, don’t always translate well to the human realm.

Of mice and humans

In 2006, a JAMA study concluded that, "patients and physicians should remain cautious about extrapolating the findings of prominent animal research to the care of human disease," and that "even high-quality animal studies will replicate poorly in human clinical research."/.../