Editing Model organism (section)

===Alternatives===
Ethical concerns, as well as the cost, maintenance and relative inefficiency of animal research has encouraged development of alternative methods for the study of disease. Cell culture, or ''in vitro'' studies, provide an alternative that preserves the physiology of the living cell, but does not require the sacrifice of an animal for mechanistic studies. Human, inducible [[pluripotent]] stem cells can{{fact|date=December 2023}} also elucidate new mechanisms for understanding cancer and cell regeneration. Imaging studies (such as MRI or PET scans) enable non-invasive study of human subjects. Recent advances in genetics and genomics can identify disease-associated genes, which can be targeted for therapies.

Many biomedical researchers argue that there is no substitute for a living organism when studying complex interactions in disease pathology or treatments.<ref>{{cite journal | title=FDA: Why are animals used for testing medical products? | journal=FDA| url=https://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/Transparency/Basics/ucm194932.htm| date=2019-06-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Society Of Toxicology: Advancing valid alternatives | url=http://www.toxicology.org/ms/air4.asp| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130105120605/http://www.toxicology.org/ms/air4.asp| url-status=dead| archive-date=2013-01-05}}</ref>