FLICKR, _TAWCANAcademic research in the United States faces two chronic problems: an inability to become financially self-sufficient, and inefficient partnerships between academia and industry. Without solving both of these problems, an increase in federal funding alone will not suffice.
Translational research is meant to bridge the gap between basic research and the clinic in order to facilitate the transition of knowledge and discovery into therapeutics. However, because of our current approach to translational research, there is still significant discordance between preclinical findings and clinical results. Such discordance has hindered the clinical impact of academic research, despite sizeable investments made in it.
This trend is no longer viable. It’s time to break away from the status quo and reinvent translational research. Doing so could enable therapeutic breakthroughs and drive up return on investment, which in turn would facilitate additional funding for academic research.
Preclinical problems Preclinical studies are being conducted based on some problematic principals. That most experimental animals are inbred and housed in aseptic ...
