mouse like it warm , scientist from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute point out . Yet most labs keep them at a temperature more comfortable for human researchers . The difference can touch on the way of life rodents respond to disease and medication , and make them less reliable manakin for human precondition . Changing the lab temperature could imply big things for aesculapian research .
" Most people only depend at results from experiment at standard lab temperatures , " saidDr . Bonnie Hylanderin astatement . " They ’re not needs aware that if you repeat the experimentation with mice at a different temperature , you might get a dissimilar outcome . "
Most labs keep mouse between 20 and 26 ° C ( 68 and 79 ° F ) , in line with National Research Council guidepost . From a human perspective , this makes sentiency . Researchers and technicians weary coats and gloves in the lab , and become uncomfortable at high temperature . However , mice lose so much heat through their large control surface area , comparative to bulk , that they favour 30 to 32 ° C ( 86 to 89 ° F ) , expend more time in warm locations if offered the chance .
InTrends in Cancer , Hylander point out that the indigence to make up the extra estrus changes the shiner metabolism , which in turn get them to eat up more food and store less free energy for later activeness . “ The ' meek ' cold stress due to stock sub - thermoneutral caparison temperatures used for laboratory mice in research institute is sufficient to importantly bias conclusions drawn from murine models of several human diseases , ” the composition argue .
There is a reason these computer mouse wish to sunbake while they feed . Paul Tymon / Shutterstock
In 2013 , Hylander co - authored a paper showing that mice have a better probability of fighting off Crab when they are stay fresh at their preferred temperature , with neoplasm growing more slowly and being less likely to metastasise .
Since then she has been explore whether this temperature difference changes treatment effectiveness . " While animal physiologist have recognized the potential of this problem for some time , we were surprised that essentially no work was done on cancer models , ” saidDr . Elizabeth Repasky , who is get together with Hylander , in astatement . “ We cogitate it was very of import to highlight how many other areas of biomedical research , some related to cancer , are influenced by received trapping temperature . "
So what is the answer ? Can mice and researcher find a reciprocally acceptable temperature ? Or do we need to keep our mouse wearing adorable picayune sweaters ?
" We ’re not sound out one housing temperature is better than another , " Repaskyargued . " The dissimilar temperature are plainly result in differences in experimental resultant , which could be important . I think a lot more enquiry is need to optimise the use of mice for examination therapies that will be utilitarian in the great unwashed . "
What Repasky and Hylander do suggest is that research worker monitor the temperatures at which mice are continue , and report this in papers . extra nesting textile could also help keep mice warm . They also observe care should be taken to see common conditions for mouse in a study - if test shiner are retain higher , where it is warmer , than the controls , differences in temperature might be more influential than the medicine being tested .
