Translational Research

Overview

Translational research takes discoveries made in the laboratory and 'translates' them into potential new treatments or diagnostic tests that may help patients in the future. Translational research, just like basic research, is usually carried out in a laboratory and applies knowledge gained from previously completed basic research.

Translational researchers attempt to bridge the gap between basic science or laboratory experiments (bench science) and clinical applications (bedside); they apply these findings by conducting early clinical trials using small groups of patients and then move these discoveries to actual patient care.

This is not a one-way bridge. Basic research scientists provide clinicians with new tools for use with patients and for assessment of their impact. Then, clinical researchers (who are also medical doctors) use these tools and make new observations about how these discoveries apply to their patients. These new observations often send the idea back to basic researchers for further refinements.

The NCI calls this "bench to bedside and back".

Moving along to the right on our arrow image, you can see we are moving closer to patient applications.

 

In this section we will discuss:

• Translational Research Scientists
• Translational Research
• Pre-Clinical Research
• Correlative Science
• Biospecimen Issues