The Best In Vivo Infection Models and Why They Matter
in vivo infection models are different from an in vitro infection model in that it uses live animals as the test subject, instead of an agar plate or 96 well plate. The drug development process typically begins with preliminary efficacy testing of a novel treatment in vitro against the target pathogen of choice.
Once efficacy is established in vitro, the novel treatment is used with an in vivo model involving live animals. This step is important to demonstrate its safety in a biological host and further establish its efficacy against the pathogen while other factors and variables are involved such as the host’s immune response, metabolism, pharmacodynamics, etc.
Only through rigorous testing in animals and consistent, repeatable results that demonstrate safety and efficacy will the novel drug be able to make it to human trials. If the drug can prove safe and effective within clinical trials, only then may it become an official drug on the market.
In vivo infection models are a critical step in drug discovery. The host immune response that is induced in live animal’s mimics the same immune response seen in humans, providing a more meaningful comparison in data. In vitro models are a good first step in determining initial efficacy of novel drugs against a certain pathogen, but safety and efficacy within a biological organism are the two most important characteristics of a drug being developed for clinical use in humans.
For example, if a drug is effective against a pathogen, but only at a concentration that is lethal or significantly detrimental to the health of the host taking it, then it does not make it to market. It needs to be scrapped or go through more rounds of testing before it makes it to human trials, which is why the drug’s safety is tested in animals like mice and rats first. Human life and health are considered the highest priority of all in drug development.
Likewise, if a drug doesn’t show at least some initial efficacy against a pathogen, it typically won’t make it past in vitro models, thus preventing the unnecessary use of live animals for an ineffective drug.
Do you have a novel treatment that needs an in vivo Infection Models, either in vivo or in vitro? TransPharm Preclinical Solutions can help design and perform a custom study for you that will provide you with the data or samples you’re looking for!