Technology trends and translational medicine

One of the many Italian paradoxes is that while the country ranks highly worldwide in terms of biomedical research productivity, the same does not apply to the conversion of findings into real-world outcomes.

Our conference in Milan explored some of the hottest topics of translational research and looked at ways to speed up the path from laboratory findings to clinical applications.

The University of Padua leads a new national centre for RNA and gene therapy, aimed at overcoming the difficulties in bringing treatments from the lab to the clinic.

In a world-first, the Italian research charity Telethon will manufacture and distribute a gene therapy for an inherited immunodeficiency that was dropped by the industry.

Researchers in Bergamo made steps towards a cure for a rare life-threatening metabolic defect.

Researchers found a molecular pathway that regulates the influence of sex hormones on Sars-CoV-2 infection symptoms.

The pandemic has shown how the path from the lab to the clinic can be shortened. These lessons must be applied to innovations such as stem cells and gene therapy.

The pandemic has revealed the potential of a new technology now being used by Italian scientists to tackle neglected metabolic disorders.

How do researchers, clinicians and industry partners collaborate to revolutionize healthcare in the future of translational medicine?

Emerging generalist models could overcome some limitations of first-generation machine-learning tools for clinical use.

The commercial success of RNA vaccines for COVID-19 has revved up interest in circular RNAs as the next generation of therapies.

As industry steps aside, scientists seek innovative ways to make sure expensive treatments can reach people who need them.

Organoids are cell-based in vitro models derived from stem cells, reconstituting the complex structure and function of the corresponding tissue. In this Primer, Zhao, Chen, Dowbaj, Sljukic, Bratlie, Lin et al. discuss the development of organoids and methods for controlling their cellular environment.

mRNA therapeutics face more challenges than mRNA vaccines, but solutions are on the horizon.

Hans Clevers discusses the value of organoids as an experimental platform for understanding the biology of novel viruses.