An introduction to biomarkers in translational research (2023)

There are three primary domains in medical research science, namely, basic science, translational science, and clinical science. Basic research is looking at questions related to how nature works, translational research aims to take what is learned in basic research and apply (“translate”) that to solve medical problems. Clinical research, then, takes those solutions and further studies them via clinical trials. Together, the three domains form a continuous research loop that transforms ideas into action in the form of new treatments and, ultimately, advances cutting-edge developments from the lab bench to the patient's bedside and back again. The focus of this chapter is on the translational science domain with a focus on the role of biomarkers within that domain.