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How does a laboratory discovery become tangible help for patients? In a guest contribution, anesthesiologist and intensive care specialist Prof. Jan Rossaint describes how translational research can bridge this gap. In Münster, interdisciplinary collaborations bring together basic research, clinical practice and data science in order to implement new therapies more rapidly and safely, with a stronger focus on patients.

Translational research takes place worldwide in several sequential phases. Nuclear medicine specialist Professor Philipp Backhaus is primarily involved in the early phases of translation, specialising in the imaging and therapy of tumours and inflammation. For several months, his team has been contributing to the development of the drug “OncoACP3”, which aims to improve the examination of prostate cancer.

The beginning of new life is medically highly complex. As a clinician scientist, Dr Janice Jeschke bridges clinic and laboratory: she investigates the molecular processes of fertilisation and implantation and feeds clinical observations directly into research. This is how translational research emerges, helping us to better understand female infertility.

Nils Marquardt, a doctoral researcher in Medical Science, investigates how individual, moving cells in the body, for example, immune cells, can be visualized and tracked using positron emission tomography. In November, he attended the IEEE Medical Imaging Conference in Japan. In addition to the scientific program, there was also time to experience Japanese culture. He shares his impressions in this guest contribution.