Sexual Health STIs What In Vitro Means in Research Studies By Elizabeth Boskey, PhD Elizabeth Boskey, PhD Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Elizabeth Boskey, PhD, MPH, CHES, is a social worker, adjunct lecturer, and expert writer in the field of sexually transmitted diseases. Learn about our editorial process Updated on November 07, 2022 Medically reviewed by Cordelia Nwankwo, MD Medically reviewed by Cordelia Nwankwo, MD Cordelia Nwankwo, MD, is a board-certified OB/GYN working in private practice in Washington, DC. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print In vitro comes from the Latin term "in glass." The term refers to studies of biological properties that are done in a test tube (i.e. in a glass vessel) rather than in a human or animal. In vitro studies are often contrasted to in vivo ("in life") studies which are done inside an organism. PM Images / DigitalVision / Getty Images In vitro studies allow scientists to isolate specific cells, bacteria, and viruses and study them without the distractions of having to look at a whole organism. Unfortunately, this means that sometimes results found in in vitro studies do not translate well to "real life." Humans are much more complicated than test tubes. However, compared to in vivo studies in vitro studies are substantially faster. They are also less expensive and can be done with fewer ethical and safety concerns. In Vitro Studies and STI Research In vitro studies play an important role in STI research. For example, much early drug development is done in vitro. Scientists wouldn't be able to come up with new HIV treatments without this type of research. Early research on drug efficacy is done in cell culture. Infected cells are treated to get an idea of whether the medication will work. Most STI testing research is also done in vitro. Although urine or blood samples are taken from humans, new tests are built in the lab. Samples which are known to be infected or uninfected can be tested with different options. Then those results can be compared to whatever is the gold standard test. In vitro research is important across all fields of medical research. With the exception of research that has to be done in a living organism, it's easier, cheaper and safer. In vitro research is essential to making medical advances. It can't do everything that in vivo research can, but it can do a lot. 5 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Moleiro AF, Conceição G, Leite-Moreira AF, Rocha-Sousa A. A critical analysis of the available and methods to study retinal angiogenesis. J Ophthalmol. 2017;2017:3034953. doi:10.1155/2017/3034953 Alirol E, Wi TE, Bala M, et al. Multidrug-resistant gonorrhea: a research and development roadmap to discover new medicines. PLoS Med. 2017;14(7):e1002366. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002366 Pardons M, Baxter AE, Massanella M, et al. Single-cell characterization and quantification of translation-competent viral reservoirs in treated and untreated HIV infection. PLoS Pathog. 2019;15(2):e1007619. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1007619 Wood H, Gudka S. Pharmacist-led screening in sexually transmitted infections: current perspectives. Integr Pharm Res Pract. 2018;7:67-82. doi:10.2147/IPRP.S140426 Carvalho C, Varela SAM, Bastos LF, et al. The relevance of in silico, in vitro and non-human primate based approaches to clinical research on major depressive disorder. Altern Lab Anim. 2019;47(3-4):128-139. doi:10.1177/0261192919885578 By Elizabeth Boskey, PhD Elizabeth Boskey, PhD, MPH, CHES, is a social worker, adjunct lecturer, and expert writer in the field of sexually transmitted diseases. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit