Francisco Javier Cubero
Professor of Immunology in the Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ENT of the Complutense University of Madrid, member of the Gregorio Marañón Health Research Institute of Madrid and the Networked Biomedical Research Center for Liver and Digestive Diseases (CIBEREHD)
In biomedicine, research and understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms that cause disease is fundamental to the development of effective treatments. However, the translation of results obtained in the laboratory to the patient's bedside has been and remains disappointing, as this timely study confirms.
On the one hand, experimental animal models do not recapitulate the full heterogeneity of human disease nor the lifestyle, genetic predisposition or environmental factors that condition the response to a drug. On the other hand, clinical trials focus on the response to a therapeutic intervention rather than on the analysis of mechanisms.
Therefore, improving experimental design and incorporating other variables into clinical trials is crucial for improving the success rates of translating experimental therapies to humans.