23.10.2024

Translational research within the Swiss Medical Network

Swiss Medical Network has appointed Professor Lana Kandalaft as its new Chief of Clinical and Translational Research. In this interview, Professor Kandalaft talks about what translational research means, her day-to-day work and why this area of research is so important for patients.

What is translational research?

Role of the Chief of Clinical and Translational Research

Examples of innovation

Opportunities & outlook

How can you participate in translation research?

Can you explain what translational research is and why it is important in modern healthcare?

Translational research bridges the gap between discoveries in the laboratory and applied medical treatments in the real world. It focuses on transforming fundamental scientific discoveries, such as new biological mechanisms or molecules, into clinical applications such as drugs, therapies or medical devices. This process often involves conducting clinical trials to ensure the safety and efficacy of these innovations before they are adopted into everyday healthcare.

Here's how it works:

Basic research: Laboratory studies, often using cell or animal models, discover biological mechanisms, new molecules or pathological processes.
Translational research: These discoveries are ‘translated’ into applicable clinical approaches. This includes the development of drugs, medical devices or treatment protocols. Translational research involves clinical trials on patients to test the safety and efficacy of new interventions.
Clinical application: Once the clinical trials have been successful, the new interventions are integrated into everyday medical practice to improve patient care.

How is your role helping to bridge the gap between laboratory discoveries and clinical applications?

By building a clinical research centre and clinical trials unit with an experienced team dedicated to clinical research, and as Head of Clinical Research, my role is essential in bridging the gap between discoveries in the laboratory and clinical applications. The Clinical Trials Unit provides a structured environment for testing new therapies and medical interventions on patients, ensuring that innovations move from the research phase to real treatments in a safe and controlled way. These practical tests are essential to validate the safety, efficacy and feasibility of new discoveries before they can be widely implemented in healthcare.

Part of my job is to oversee the process of transforming promising discoveries into feasible medical treatments. This involves coordinating efforts between scientists, clinicians, regulatory bodies and industrial partners to ensure that laboratory results are translated into therapies ready to be tested in clinical trials.

In addition, the Clinical Research Centre fosters collaboration and facilitates the transition from discovery to application by providing the infrastructure and expertise necessary for the clinical development of new therapies. Together, these efforts accelerate the process of bringing innovative treatments to patients, reducing the time and barriers between scientific discoveries and their practical application in healthcare.

What are some examples of recent innovations in translational research that have had a direct impact on patient care?

Recent innovations in translational research have had a direct impact on patient care, particularly in the fields of cancer treatment and gene therapy. Immunotherapies, such as checkpoint inhibitors and CAR-T therapy, have revolutionised cancer treatment by harnessing patients' immune systems to target cancer cells, offering more effective and personalised options. Similarly, precision medicine, based on genomic analysis, makes it possible to tailor treatments to specific genetic mutations, as in certain lung cancers with targeted therapies.

Another major advance is the development of mRNA vaccines, such as those against COVID-19, which have been created in record time and have considerably reduced the spread of the virus. mRNA technology also offers prospects for other diseases such as cancer. These advances show how translational research accelerates the transition from scientific discoveries to concrete medical applications.

What are the greatest challenges and opportunities for advancing translational research today?

The main challenges to advancing translational research today include the complexity of diseases, the high cost of clinical trials and regulatory constraints. Many diseases, such as cancer or neurodegenerative diseases, are biologically complex, which makes it difficult to transform discoveries into effective treatments. In addition, clinical trials are expensive and require considerable resources, which can pose a funding problem. Finally, strict regulations, while necessary to ensure patient safety, can delay the transition from scientific discovery to clinical application.

On the other hand, the opportunities are also significant. Technological advances, such as genomics, artificial intelligence and gene editing, are accelerating research by providing more precise tools for understanding diseases and developing targeted therapies. The rise of precision medicine also represents a key opportunity, making it possible to personalise treatments according to patients' genetic profiles. Finally, interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers, clinicians and the pharmaceutical industry strengthens the rapid transfer of innovations to clinical care, facilitating the direct impact on patient health.

What role does technology, such as AI or data analysis, play in improving translational research?

Technology, in particular artificial intelligence (AI) and data analysis, significantly improves translational research by accelerating discoveries and optimising clinical applications. Massive data analysis helps researchers identify disease mechanisms and therapeutic targets by revealing patterns in vast datasets.

AI simplifies tasks such as drug discovery, medical image analysis and clinical trial design, making it easier to predict the most effective treatments. In addition, these technologies improve the management of clinical trials by enabling real-time monitoring and adaptive protocols, speeding up the development and implementation of new therapies. AI is also essential for personalised medicine and the advancement of personalised cell therapies.

What does a typical day look like for you as head of clinical and translational research?

At the moment, we're still in the construction phase, but once everything is in place, my typical day will involve a balance between strategic oversight and operational management. Much of my time will be spent overseeing coordination with the research teams, clinicians and external partners to ensure that clinical trials progress smoothly and comply with regulatory standards. This includes reviewing trial data, managing patient safety issues and ensuring compliance with protocols. I will also be involved in meetings with various stakeholders, from researchers to regulators, to resolve issues and move ongoing projects forward.

I will also focus on strategic planning, identifying emerging scientific opportunities and guiding the direction of future research. Overall, my day will be a mix of hands-on project supervision and high-level decision-making, ensuring that scientific discoveries are effectively translated into real-world medical treatments. Finally, I need time to do my own research into cancer vaccines, reading and keeping up to date with the ever more rapidly evolving field of science.

What advice would you give to healthcare professionals wishing to contribute to translational research?

To contribute effectively to translational research, healthcare professionals need to acquire solid training in clinical and translational research, while remaining open to continuous learning. It is crucial to collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, including researchers, clinicians and technology experts, to encourage the exchange of ideas and skills. Mastering emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and genomic data analysis, is also essential for contributing to innovation and personalised medicine.

Finally, remaining curious and keeping a close eye on scientific and technological advances enables us to play an active role in transforming discoveries into concrete treatments for patients. With what we are building, we hope to provide the expertise needed to help doctors, who are often very busy taking care of their patients, to participate in clinical and translational research. By putting in place a solid infrastructure and a dedicated research team, we aim to simplify the process, enabling doctors to contribute without worrying about the administrative burdens and complexities that often accompany research. This will allow them to focus on patient care while playing an active role in advancing medical innovations and improving treatments through their participation in research initiatives.

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