Read beyond the headline.
A practical framework for distinguishing a cell experiment, an animal model, and a clinical result.
Start with the research question and the study population. Human-derived cells in a laboratory are still an in-vitro experiment, not a clinical trial. An animal model can reveal a mechanism while leaving human benefits and harms unresolved.
Read the methods before the conclusion. Was treatment randomized? Was there a comparison group? Were outcomes specified in advance? A biological marker is not necessarily an outcome that improves how someone feels, functions, or survives.
Separate the effect from its uncertainty. Study size, missing data, adverse events, duration, and funding all affect interpretation. A statistically significant finding does not automatically mean a clinically meaningful benefit.
Compare BPC-157 tendon experiments in rats with the randomized SURMOUNT-1 human trial. The two publications answer different questions. Neither is a basis for extrapolating a personal protocol from a social media chart.