Most prominent challenges in translational neuroscience and strategic solutions to bridge the gaps: Perspectives from an editorial board interrogation

Recent progress in translational neuroscience has significantly advanced our understanding of neurological diseases. Research progress closely went in line with innovations in research methods, which have expanded our insights considerably beyond previous limits. However, despite the development of disease-modifying treatments, therapeutic options in brain diseases still lag behind fundamental discoveries in basic neuroscience. This perspective examines the factors that hinder clinical progress in translational neuroscience and provides solutions on how to overcome them. Editorial board members of <i>Exploration of Neuroscience</i> were interrogated about the most prominent challenges they see in translational neuroscience and about possible ways to overcome these issues. Key challenges were seen at the interface between experimental research and clinical studies by several members, both from the basic and applied neuroscience fields, which include the selection of appropriate study readouts and endpoints. The establishment of refined study endpoints, combined with biomarkers capable of predicting treatment responses in human patients, will be crucial for the successful clinical implementation of new therapies. Further obstacles were found in the standardization of experimental models, interventions, and assessments both in animals and humans, as well as in the development of personalized treatment strategies. These challenges can be addressed through more clearly defined experimental procedures that closely match clinical conditions and precision-based approaches that ensure efficient therapeutic responses. As a great opportunity, treatment options targeting pathophysiological processes in multiple brain diseases and disease processes in different organ systems were noted. Significant barriers remain in the funding of investigator-driven clinical trials through public research programs, as well as the education of translational and clinician scientists dedicated to clinical translation. Enhanced communication between experimental neuroscientists and clinicians, with a shared understanding and common language, will be essential for the success of future research endeavors.

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Publication Details

Journal
Exploration of neuroscience
Published
2025-08-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.37349/en.2025.1006106
Citations
5
Primary Topic
Bioinformatics and Genomic Networks
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
4.03

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article

Most prominent challenges in translational neuroscience and strategic solutions to bridge the gaps: Perspectives from an editorial board interrogation

Stefano Pluchino, Johannes Boltze, Jussi Sipilä, Arthur Liesz et al.
5 citations
Exploration of neuroscience
Bioinformatics and Genomic Networks
4.03
article

Most prominent challenges in translational neuroscience and strategic solutions to bridge the gaps: Perspectives from an editorial board interrogation

Stefano Pluchino, Johannes Boltze, Jussi Sipilä, Arthur Liesz, Giuseppe Lanza, Turgay Dalkara, Ertuğrul Kılıç, Tim Magnus, Exuperio Díez‐Tejedor, Maha Saad Zaki, Ryszard Pluta, Giustino Varrassi, Georgios K. Tsivgoulis, Matthias Gunzer, Marcello Iriti, Mohamed L. Seghier, MARK A. SLEVIN, Alexander Gerhard, Andrew Lung-Tat Chan, Dirk M. Hermann, Janine Gronewold, Bernd Giebel, Ameneh Rezayof, Hans‐Otto Karnath, Richard Dodel, Ádám Dénes, Marco Bacigaluppi, Thomas Müller, Tamàs Fülöp, Gabrio Bassotti, Xinhua Shu, Egor Dzyubenko, Thomas Heinbockel, Jessica Mandrioli, Thorsten R. Doeppner, Luca Peruzzotti‐Jametti, Kaibin Huang, Bayram Yılmaz, Ayman ElAli, Aurel Popa‐Wagner, Claudio L. Bassetti, Ayan Mohamud Yusuf, Vikramjeet Singh, Chen Wang, Jinwei Zhang, Yamei Tang, Suyue Pan, Kasteleijn-Nolst Trenite
article en
5 citations

Abstract

Recent progress in translational neuroscience has significantly advanced our understanding of neurological diseases. Research progress closely went in line with innovations in research methods, which have expanded our insights considerably beyond previous limits. However, despite the development of disease-modifying treatments, therapeutic options in brain diseases still lag behind fundamental discoveries in basic neuroscience. This perspective examines the factors that hinder clinical progress in translational neuroscience and provides solutions on how to overcome them. Editorial board members of <i>Exploration of Neuroscience</i> were interrogated about the most prominent challenges they see in translational neuroscience and about possible ways to overcome these issues. Key challenges were seen at the interface between experimental research and clinical studies by several members, both from the basic and applied neuroscience fields, which include the selection of appropriate study readouts and endpoints. The establishment of refined study endpoints, combined with biomarkers capable of predicting treatment responses in human patients, will be crucial for the successful clinical implementation of new therapies. Further obstacles were found in the standardization of experimental models, interventions, and assessments both in animals and humans, as well as in the development of personalized treatment strategies. These challenges can be addressed through more clearly defined experimental procedures that closely match clinical conditions and precision-based approaches that ensure efficient therapeutic responses. As a great opportunity, treatment options targeting pathophysiological processes in multiple brain diseases and disease processes in different organ systems were noted. Significant barriers remain in the funding of investigator-driven clinical trials through public research programs, as well as the education of translational and clinician scientists dedicated to clinical translation. Enhanced communication between experimental neuroscientists and clinicians, with a shared understanding and common language, will be essential for the success of future research endeavors.

Exploration of neuroscienceVol. 4
Medical University of Lublin (PL), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (IT), Université de Sherbrooke (CA), Howard University (US), Sun Yat-sen University (CN), Universität Hamburg (DE), Bilkent University (TR), University of Eastern Finland (FI), Khalifa University of Science and Technology (AE), University of Milan (IT), Dokuz Eylül University (TR), Glasgow Caledonian University (GB), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (GR), University of Tehran (IR), University of Cambridge (GB), University of Perugia (IT), Fondazione Roma (IT), Hospital Universitario La Paz (ES), University Hospital of Bern (CH), San Raffaele University of Rome (IT), University Medical Center Utrecht (NL), Universitatea de Medicină, Farmacie, Științe și Tehnologie „George Emil Palade” din Târgu Mureș (RO), University of Catania (IT), University of Warwick (GB), National Human Genome Research Institute (US), Azienda Unita' Sanitaria Locale Di Modena (IT), Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital (CN), University Hospital of Zurich (CH), Nanfang Hospital (CN), Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research (ES), HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine (HU), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (DE), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Modena (IT), NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (GB), Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry (CN), Essen University Hospital (DE), St. Joseph-Krankenhaus (DE), Université Laval (CA), Istanbul Medeniyet University (TR), Southern Medical University (CN), University of Duisburg-Essen (DE), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (ES), University of Tübingen (DE), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (DE)
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, National Institutes of Health, Center for AIDS Research, University of Washington, National Institute on Aging, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
Openalex Percentile: Top 6%
Bioinformatics and Genomic Networks
4.03
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