Epidemiologic Methods ; Translational Medical Research

The background, concept and status quo of translational medicine at home and abroad were introduced systematically in this review, and the application mode of translational medicine in the research and development of Chinese medicine (CM) was analyzed. Targeting the characteristics of CM and the changes in the spectrum of diseases in China, some suggestions were made to strengthen the translational research in CM and integrative medicine.
China ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; methods ; Translational Medical Research

Development of novel drugs is an integral part of the translational medicine in the field of cancer research, and the construction and application of preclinical animal models play vital roles in drugs development. Patient-derived tumor xenograft models (PDX) have been shown to be more accurate in prediction of clinical outcomes of novel drugs and are being used for preclinical drug evaluation based on the fact that PDX models mostly retain the principal histologic and genetic characteristics of their donor tumor. To set up PDX model, primary or metastatic tumor are achieved to translate into immune-deficiency mice. The tumor in immune-deficiency mouse is acquired to translate to other immune-deficiency mouse to generate stable PDX model, which usually is affected by the strain of mouse, translation method and translation location in mouse. PDX models recapitulate the same histology and gene expression as the original patients' carcinoma. PDX models can accurately predict the effectiveness of novel drugs, screen more predictive biomarker for drug resistance and optimize the use of classic drugs in clinic. However, sole source of surgical resection of tumor, long time of construction, high failure rate and hardly used in evaluating immune drugs would be the barriers to be overcome to improve PDX models. The methodological issues, salient features, practical applications, and future directions of PDX models will be illustrated.
Animals ; Heterografts ; Humans ; Mice ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; methods ; Neoplasms ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Translational Medical Research ; methods

Evidence-Based Medicine ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Phytotherapy ; Translational Medical Research ; Treatment Outcome

The Asian Society of Gynecologic Oncology International Workshop 2014 on gynecologic oncology was held in Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea on the 23rd to 24th August 2014. A total of 179 participants from 17 countries participated in the workshop, and the up-to-date findings on the management of gynecologic cancers were presented and discussed. This meeting focused on the new trends in the management of cervical cancer, fertility-sparing management of gynecologic cancers, surgical management of gynecologic cancers, and recent advances in translational research on gynecologic cancers.
Female ; Fertility Preservation/methods ; Genital Neoplasms, Female/*therapy ; Humans ; Ovarian Neoplasms/therapy ; Translational Medical Research/methods ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/therapy

There have been several success stories in the field of pharmacogenetics in recent years, including the analysis of HER2 amplification for trastuzumab selection in breast cancer and VKORC1 genotyping for warfarin dosing in thrombosis. Encouraging results from these studies suggest that genetic factors may indeed be important determinants of drug response and toxicity for at least some drugs. However, to apply pharmacogenetics appropriately, a thorough understanding of the scope and limitations of this field is required. The challenges include an appreciation of biological variability, logistical issues pertaining to the proper management of information, the need for robust methods and adequate sample quality with well-designed workflows. At the same time, the economics of pharmacogenetic testing from the perspective of clinicians, patients, governments, insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies will play an important role in determining its future use. Ethical considerations such as informed consent and patient privacy, as well as the role of regulatory bodies in addressing these issues, must be fully understood. Only once these issues are properly dealt with can the full benefits of pharmacogenetics begin to be realised.
Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Genetic Privacy ; ethics ; Humans ; Informed Consent ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Pharmacogenetics ; ethics ; methods ; Translational Medical Research ; methods

Secondary development of Chinese Patent Medicine (CPM) is an effective and innovation-driven way for the leaping development of Chinese medicine industry with less investment and faster return. Aim to improving the efficacy, safety and batch-to-batch consistency of CPMs, the theory and methodology for the secondary development of CPMs, mode for cultivating superior CPM, approaches to reforming the pharmaceutical technology and the corresponding core technologies were proposed in this paper, which is summarized as 'One objective, Three analyses, Five definitudes and Seven improvements'.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; economics ; Patents as Topic ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; economics ; legislation & jurisprudence ; methods ; Translational Medical Research ; economics ; legislation & jurisprudence ; methods

Humans ; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques ; Neoplasms ; pathology ; Pathology, Molecular ; methods ; trends ; Pathology, Surgical ; methods ; trends ; Translational Medical Research

Pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics are promising fields that will enable personalized therapy. However, one of the most important issues to be conquered in the practice of personalized medicine is the translation of scientific discoveries into better therapeutic outcomes. The international pharmacogenetic and pharmacogenomic approaches made in the field of personalized medicine and drug discovery are summarized in this review.
Drug Discovery ; methods ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; Pharmacogenetics ; methods ; Precision Medicine ; methods ; Translational Medical Research ; methods

The Mood Disorder Cohort Research Consortium (MDCRC) study is designed as a naturalistic observational prospective cohort study for early-onset mood disorders (major depressive disorders, bipolar disorders type 1 and 2) in South Korea. The study subjects consist of two populations: 1) patients with mood disorders under 25 years old and 2) patients with mood disorders within 2 years of treatment under 35 years old. After successful screening, the subjects are evaluated using baseline assessments and serial follow-up assessments at 3-month intervals. Between the follow-up assessments, subjects are dictated to check their own daily mood status before bedtime using the eMood chart application or a paper mood diary. At the regular visits every 3 months, inter-visit assessments are evaluated based on daily mood charts and interviews with patients. In addition to the daily mood chart, sleep quality, inter-visit major and minor mood episodes, stressful life events, and medical usage pattern with medical expenses are also assessed. Genomic DNA from blood is obtained for genomic analyses. From the MDCRC study, the clinical course, prognosis, and related factors of early-onset mood disorders can be clarified. The MDCRC is also able to facilitate translational research for mood disorders and provide a resource for the convergence study of mood disorders.
Bipolar Disorder ; Cohort Studies* ; Depressive Disorder ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; DNA ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Methods* ; Mood Disorders* ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; Translational Medical Research