{"id":4030,"date":"2022-04-14T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-14T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/?p=4030"},"modified":"2022-03-30T07:47:26","modified_gmt":"2022-03-30T07:47:26","slug":"major-study-shows-the-need-to-improve-how-scientists-approach-early-stage-cancer-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/major-study-shows-the-need-to-improve-how-scientists-approach-early-stage-cancer-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Major study shows the need to improve how scientists approach early-stage cancer research"},"content":{"rendered":"\n  <figure>\n    <img  decoding=\"async\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  class=\" pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452401\/original\/file-20220316-15-1tmf3hp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&#038;rect=726%2C0%2C4837%2C2952&#038;q=45&#038;auto=format&#038;w=754&#038;fit=clip\" >\n      <figcaption>\n        Preclinical research \u2014 the kind that takes place before testing on humans \u2014 often guides decisions about which potential treatments should continue to clinical trials. But attempts to replicate 50 studies found the odds of getting the same results were only about 50-50.\n        <span class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"source\">(Pexels\/Artem Podrez)<\/span><\/span>\n      <\/figcaption>\n  <\/figure>\n\n<span><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/robert-nadon-1308982\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Robert Nadon<\/a>, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/mcgill-university-827\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">McGill University<\/a><\/em><\/span>\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 175px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;\" allowtransparency=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/narrations.ad-auris.com\/widget\/the-conversation-canada\/major-study-shows-the-need-to-improve-how-scientists-approach-early-stage-cancer-research\" width=\"100%\" height=\"400\"><\/iframe>\n\n<p>Preclinical studies, the kind that scientists perform before testing in humans, don\u2019t get as much attention as their clinical counterparts. But they are the vital first steps to eventual treatments and cures. It\u2019s important to get preclinical findings right. When they are wrong, scientists waste resources pursuing false leads. Worse, false findings can trigger <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s41231-019-0050-7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">clinical studies with humans<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n<p>Last December, the Center for Open Science (COS) released the worrying results of its eight-year $US 1.5 million <em><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7554\/eLife.71601\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology<\/a><\/em> study. Done in collaboration with research marketplace <a href=\"https:\/\/ww2.scienceexchange.com\/s\/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Science Exchange<\/a>, independent scientists found that the odds of replicating results of 50 preclinical experiments from 23 high-profile published studies were no better than a coin toss. <\/p>\n\n<p>Praise and controversy have followed the project from the beginning. The journal <em>Nature<\/em> applauded the replication studies as \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/541259b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the practice of science at its best<\/a>.\u201d But the journal <em>Science<\/em> noted that reactions from some scientists whose studies were chosen ranged from \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.348.6242.1411\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">annoyance to anxiety to outrage<\/a>,\u201d impeding the replications. Although none of the original experiments was described in enough detail to allow scientists to repeat them, <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7554\/eLife.67995\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a third of the original authors were unco-operative<\/a>, and some were even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/article\/cancer-biology-studies-research-replication-reproducibility\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hostile<\/a> when asked for assistance.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"align-center \">\n            <img  decoding=\"async\"  alt=\"A person wearing PPE using a multi-channel pipette in a laboratory\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  class=\" pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-ls-sizes=\"(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452293\/original\/file-20220315-15-60adun.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\"  data-pk-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452293\/original\/file-20220315-15-60adun.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=231&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452293\/original\/file-20220315-15-60adun.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=231&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452293\/original\/file-20220315-15-60adun.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=231&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452293\/original\/file-20220315-15-60adun.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=291&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452293\/original\/file-20220315-15-60adun.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=291&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452293\/original\/file-20220315-15-60adun.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=291&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\" >\n            <figcaption>\n              <span class=\"caption\">It\u2019s important to get preclinical findings right. When they are wrong, scientists waste resources pursuing false leads.<\/span>\n              <span class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"source\">(Shutterstock)<\/span><\/span>\n            <\/figcaption>\n          <\/figure>\n\n<p>COS executive director Brian Nosek cautioned that the findings pose \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/content\/article\/more-half-high-impact-cancer-lab-studies-could-not-be-replicated-controversial-analysis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">challenges for the credibility of preclinical cancer biology<\/a>.\u201d In a tacit acknowledgement that biomedical research has not been universally rigorous or transparent, the American National Institutes of Health (NIH), the largest funder of biomedical research in the world, has announced that it will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chemistryworld.com\/news\/replication-failures-cast-doubt-on-some-cancer-studies\/4014881.article\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">raise requirements for both of these qualities<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p>I have taught classes and written about good scientific practice in psychology and biomedicine for over 30 years. I\u2019ve reviewed more grant applications and journal manuscripts than I can count, and I\u2019m not surprised.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"align-right \">\n            <img  decoding=\"async\"  alt=\"A stack of journal articles, with passages highlighted in the top one, with a pen resting on top.\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  class=\" pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-ls-sizes=\"(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452304\/original\/file-20220315-21-1j5qntp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip\"  data-pk-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452304\/original\/file-20220315-21-1j5qntp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452304\/original\/file-20220315-21-1j5qntp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452304\/original\/file-20220315-21-1j5qntp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452304\/original\/file-20220315-21-1j5qntp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452304\/original\/file-20220315-21-1j5qntp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452304\/original\/file-20220315-21-1j5qntp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\" >\n            <figcaption>\n              <span class=\"caption\">Independent scientists found that the odds of replicating results of 50 preclinical experiments from 23 high-profile published studies were no better than a coin toss.<\/span>\n              <span class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"source\">(Shutterstock)<\/span><\/span>\n            <\/figcaption>\n          <\/figure>\n\n<p>The twin pillars of trustworthy science \u2014 transparency and dispassionate rigour \u2014 have wobbled under the stress of <a href=\"https:\/\/royalsocietypublishing.org\/doi\/10.1098\/rsos.160384\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">incentives that<\/a> enhance careers at the expense of reliable science. Too often, proposed preclinical studies \u2014 and surprisingly, published peer-reviewed ones \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1161\/CIRCRESAHA.114.303819\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">don\u2019t follow the scientific method<\/a>. Too often, <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1089\/bio.2020.0037\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">scientists do not share<\/a> their government-funded data, even when required by the publishing journal.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"controlling-for-bias\">Controlling for bias<\/h2>\n\n<p>Many preclinical experiments <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/164_2019_279\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lack the rudimentary controls against bias<\/a> that are taught in the social sciences, though <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cshlpress.com\/default.tpl?cart=1646145461247203111&amp;fromlink=T&amp;linkaction=full&amp;linksortby=oop_title&amp;--eqSKUdatarq=1020\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rarely in biomedical disciplines<\/a> such as medicine, cell biology, biochemistry and physiology. Controlling for bias is a key element of the scientific method because it allows scientists to disentangle experimental signal from procedural noise. <\/p>\n\n<p>Confirmation bias, the tendency to see what we want to see, is one type of bias that good science controls by \u201cblinding.\u201d Think of the \u201cdouble-blind\u201d procedures in clinical trials in which neither the patient nor the research team knows who is getting the placebo and who is getting the drug. In preclinical research, blinding experimenters to samples\u2019 identities minimizes the chance that they will alter their behaviour, however subtly, in favour of their hypothesis. <\/p>\n\n<p>Seemingly trivial differences, such as whether a sample is processed in the morning or afternoon or whether an animal is caged in the upper or lower row, can also change results. This is not as unlikely as you might think. Moment-to-moment changes in the micro-environment, such as exposure to light and air ventilation, for example, <a href=\"https:\/\/arriveguidelines.org\/arrive-guidelines\/randomisation#:%7E:text=Using%20a%20validated%20method%20of,valid%20%5B4%2C5%5D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">can change physiological responses<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"align-center zoomable\">\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452275\/original\/file-20220315-15-39otqq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img  decoding=\"async\"  alt=\"A row of clear acrylic animal cages, each housing a white rat.\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  class=\" pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-ls-sizes=\"(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452275\/original\/file-20220315-15-39otqq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\"  data-pk-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452275\/original\/file-20220315-15-39otqq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=420&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452275\/original\/file-20220315-15-39otqq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=420&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452275\/original\/file-20220315-15-39otqq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=420&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452275\/original\/file-20220315-15-39otqq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=527&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452275\/original\/file-20220315-15-39otqq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=527&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452275\/original\/file-20220315-15-39otqq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=527&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\" ><\/a>\n            <figcaption>\n              <span class=\"caption\">Seemingly trivial differences, such as whether an animal is caged in the upper or lower row, can change results.<\/span>\n              <span class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"source\">(Shutterstock)<\/span><\/span>\n            <\/figcaption>\n          <\/figure>\n\n<p>If all animals who receive a drug are caged in one row and all animals who do not receive the drug are caged in another row, any difference between the two groups of animals may be due to the drug, to their housing location or to an interaction between the two. You can\u2019t honestly choose between the alternative explanations, and neither can the scientists.<\/p>\n\n<p>Randomizing sample selection and processing order minimizes these procedural biases, makes the interpretation of the results clearer, and makes them more likely to be replicated. <\/p>\n\n<p>Many of the replication experiments blinded and randomized, but it\u2019s not known if the original experiments did. All that is known is that for the 15 animal experiments, only <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7554\/eLife.71601\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">one of the original studies reported randomization and none reported blinding<\/a>. But it would not be surprising if many of the studies neither randomized nor blinded.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"study-design-and-statistics\">Study design and statistics<\/h2>\n\n<p>According to one estimate, over half of the one million articles published each year <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/S0140-6736%2809%2960329-9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">have biased study designs<\/a>, contributing to 85 per cent of US$100-billion spent each year on (mostly preclinical) research being wasted. <\/p>\n\n<p>In a widely reported commentary, industry scientist and former academic Glenn Begley reported being able to reproduce the results of only <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/483531a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">six of 53<\/a> academic studies (11 per cent). He listed <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/497433a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">six practices<\/a> of reliable research, including blinding. All six of the studies that replicated followed all six practices. The 47 studies that failed to replicate followed few or, sometimes, none of the practices. <\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"align-center zoomable\">\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452283\/original\/file-20220315-19-vympx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img  decoding=\"async\"  alt=\"Three people in white coats with a microscope in the foreground, superimposed with bar graphs and data points.\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  class=\" pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-ls-sizes=\"(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452283\/original\/file-20220315-19-vympx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\"  data-pk-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452283\/original\/file-20220315-19-vympx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452283\/original\/file-20220315-19-vympx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452283\/original\/file-20220315-19-vympx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452283\/original\/file-20220315-19-vympx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=468&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452283\/original\/file-20220315-19-vympx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=468&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452283\/original\/file-20220315-19-vympx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=468&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\" ><\/a>\n            <figcaption>\n              <span class=\"caption\">Misuse of statistics is a common in biomedical research despite calls for better data analysis practices.<\/span>\n              <span class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"source\">(Shutterstock)<\/span><\/span>\n            <\/figcaption>\n          <\/figure>\n\n<p>Another way to bias findings is by misusing statistics. As with blinding and randomization, it\u2019s not known which, if any, of the original studies in the reproducibility project misused statistics, because of the studies\u2019 lack of transparency. But that, too, is common practice.<\/p>\n\n<p>A dictionary of terms describes a slew of poor data analysis practices that can manufacture statistically significant (but false) findings, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1207\/s15327957pspr0203_4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HARKing<\/a> (Hypothesizing After the Results are Known), p-hacking (<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177%2F0956797611417632\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">repeating statistical tests until a desired result is produced<\/a>) and following a series of data-dependent analysis decisions known as a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1511\/2014.111.460\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">garden of forking paths<\/a>\u201d to publishable findings. <\/p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/chapter\/10.1007\/164_2019_278#Sec4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">These practices<\/a> are <a href=\"https:\/\/acmedsci.ac.uk\/policy\/policy-projects\/reproducibility-and-reliability-of-biomedical-research\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">common in biomedical research<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/bmj.308.6924.283\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Decades of pleas<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pmed.0020124\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">methodologists<\/a>, and an <a href=\"https:\/\/magazine.amstat.org\/blog\/2021\/08\/01\/task-force-statement-p-value\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">unprecedented statement<\/a> from the American Statistical Association to change data analysis practices, however, have <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/1740-9713.01505\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gone unheeded<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"a-better-future\">A better future<\/h2>\n\n<figure class=\"align-center \">\n            <img  decoding=\"async\"  alt=\"A woman wearing a lab coat and safety glasses and green gloves examining lab samples\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  class=\" pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-ls-sizes=\"(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452295\/original\/file-20220315-25-11qxmpb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;rect=353%2C0%2C4871%2C3371&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\"  data-pk-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452295\/original\/file-20220315-25-11qxmpb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452295\/original\/file-20220315-25-11qxmpb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452295\/original\/file-20220315-25-11qxmpb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452295\/original\/file-20220315-25-11qxmpb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452295\/original\/file-20220315-25-11qxmpb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/452295\/original\/file-20220315-25-11qxmpb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\" >\n            <figcaption>\n              <span class=\"caption\">Incentives and standards should reward practices that produce trustworthy science and censor practices that do not, without killing innovation.<\/span>\n              <span class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"source\">(Shutterstock)<\/span><\/span>\n            <\/figcaption>\n          <\/figure>\n\n<p>Those who are anti-science should not take heart in these findings. Preclinical science\u2019s accomplishments are real and impressive. Decades of preclinical research led to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/01\/15\/health\/mrna-vaccine.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">development of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines<\/a>, for example. And most scientists are doing the best they can within a system that rewards <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/commentisfree\/2013\/dec\/09\/how-journals-nature-science-cell-damage-science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">quick flashy results<\/a> over slower reliable ones. <\/p>\n\n<p>But science is done by humans with all the strengths and weaknesses that go with it. The trick is to reward practices that produce trustworthy science and to censor practices that do not, without killing innovation. <\/p>\n\n<p>Changing incentives and enforcing standards are the most effective ways to improve scientific practice. The goal is to improve efficiency by ensuring scientists who value transparency and rigour over speed and flash are given a chance to thrive. It\u2019s been <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/505612a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tried before<\/a>, with <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/08989621.2020.1855427\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">minimal success<\/a>. This time may be different. The <em>Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology<\/em> study and the NIH policy changes it prompted may be just the push needed to make it happen.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img  loading=\"lazy\"  decoding=\"async\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  alt=\"The Conversation\"  width=\"1\"  height=\"1\"  style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important\"  class=\" pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/176134\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" ><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --><\/p>\n\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/robert-nadon-1308982\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Robert Nadon<\/a>, Associate Professor, Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/mcgill-university-827\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">McGill University<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n<p>This article is republished from <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/major-study-shows-the-need-to-improve-how-scientists-approach-early-stage-cancer-research-176134\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Preclinical research \u2014 the kind that takes place before testing on humans \u2014 often guides decisions about which&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":4031,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[268,474],"class_list":{"0":"post-4030","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health-and-body","8":"tag-cancer","9":"tag-the-conversation","10":"cs-entry","11":"cs-video-wrap"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4030","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4030"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4030\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4032,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4030\/revisions\/4032"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4031"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}