Clinical and Translational Sciences: At the Intersection of Molecular and Individualized Medicine

Clinical and Translational Science: From Bench‐Bedside to Global Village

“…Integration of these potentiating platforms defines the critical path for best resolving the mechanistic processes underlying fundamental physiological programs that are corrupted in disease 10 . Identification of these processes offers, in turn, novel perspectives resulting in personalized diagnostics and therapeutics, molecular markers of disease prognosis, and clinical predictors of therapeutic responses, guiding the development of optimum management algorithms for patients and communities 1,2,5,6 . Continued deconstruction of physiological networks and deciphering molecular circuits central to disease pathobiology provide the foundation to pinpoint ideal pharmacological targets, and develop therapeutic devices or diagnostic approaches that offer rational, patient‐centered healthcare solutions.…”

“…Further, it is estimated that only 5% of highly promising basic science discoveries are ultimately licensed for clinical use, and only 1% are actually used for the licensed indication 12,13 . These examples underscore apparent limitations and ultimately failures in translating knowledge generated by the new biology, impeding applications for disease control and prevention in patients and populations 1,2,4–7,11 …”

“…The emergence of clinical and translational science, as the key paradigm to optimize medical as well as surgical products and services emanating from the intersection of discovery science and healthcare delivery, highlights the requirement for a unifying framework that bridges across the continuum of knowledge creation and deployment, converting discoveries to human application, advancing that information into clinical practice, disseminating best clinical practices into communities, and ultimately modifying the behavior of populations to improve global wellness 4 . Fundamental alignment of basic and clinical sciences; development of newer knowledge domains in health services research, comparative effectiveness, and dissemination science; creation of investigational teams bridging communities of patients and practice; and the reciprocal bidirectional flow of information and inquiry across those communities shaping and prioritizing knowledge domains are central to the broad and timely implementation of clinical and translational science, ensuring global availability of the best patient‐centered algorithms for clinical healthcare delivery 2,4,5 …”

“…4 Fundamental alignment of basic and clinical sciences; development of newer knowledge domains in health services research, comparative eff ectiveness, and dissemination science; creation of investigational teams bridging communities of patients and practice; and the reciprocal bidirectional fl ow of information and inquiry across those communities shaping and prioritizing knowledge domains are central to the broad and timely implementation of clinical and translational science, ensuring global availability of the best patient-centered algorithms for clinical healthcare delivery. 2,4,5…”

The Value Proposition of Molecular Medicine

“…The pace of discovery is accelerating, enabled by platforms, including “omics,” stem cell biology, network medicine, and medical and biological informatics that provide unanticipated insights into pathophysiology 2,4–6 . The integration of these paradigms has established a model for identifying the mechanistic underpinnings of disease, offering novel opportunities to individualize diagnostics that shape how modern therapies are deployed, including markers of disease prognosis, clinical predictors of therapeutic responses, and molecular determinants that optimize clinical management 7–10 . Importantly, deconvolution of physiological circuits is producing a new vanguard of molecular therapies that target corrupted pathways at the center of disease pathogenesis, individualizing patient care algorithms that optimize benefits and minimize adverse effects 7–9,11,12 …”