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Doctors newspaper online, 10.10.2019
Medical Research
From Basic Research to Application: The German Research Foundation wants to strengthen "a translation-oriented research culture" at the medical faculties.
By Matthias Wallenfels
BERLIN. Especially in highly developed industrialized countries like Germany, translation is an innovation driver and an engine for the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical technology industries. However, from the point of view of the German Research Foundation (DFG) at the medical faculties of German universities, translation is not the best in terms of translation.
That's why the DFG Senate Commission for Fundamental Issues in Clinical Research (SGKF) presented its Recommendations for Strengthening University Medicine to the public on Tuesday in Berlin at a joint symposium with the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) , According to the DFG, the task of the SGKF is to provide advice to politicians and public authorities, academics and the public on behalf of the Senate of the DFG. Within the framework of the commission's work, opinions are to be prepared on topics of relevance to medical research of social, political or economic importance.
Deficits also in regulation
"At the medical faculties, it is important to further strengthen a translation-oriented research culture, a mindset for translation," states the SGKF in its recommendation. In order to achieve the goal of developing and developing training structures so that scientists can be introduced to translational research at an early stage and meet the associated demands, this is a recommended course of action. "The regulatory authorities must also be made more aware of the specific requirements of translational research projects in order to be able to provide constructive and critical support for these projects", the Commission identifies another major construction site.
In order to preemptively confront potential political resistance, the scientists point out that one of the core tasks of university medicine is to "actively carry out translation, ie the transfer of fundamental research results into new preventive, diagnostic or therapeutic methods for human use" .
In order to continue doing justice to this task, the University Medical Center must, from a DFG perspective, develop structurally, financially and strategically – in order to become more effective in the future. The foundation has already been laid, emphasized DFG Vice-President and SGKF Chair Professor Britta Siegmund in Berlin. "In German university medicine, the prerequisites for successful translation processes are met, since fundamental research, clinical research and university health care are intimately interlinked here, but this potential is currently not being exploited," complained Siegmund.
Professor Georg Duda of the Julius Wolff Institute of Charité, Deputy Speaker of the BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies and head of the working group that developed the recommendations, added: "The framework conditions under which translational research is taking place are changing due to new technical possibilities , a changing role understanding of the actors and new legal regulations continuously – the recommendations of the Senate Commission should make a contribution to the sustainable strengthening of translational research in Germany. "
Call for funding
In addition to the above-mentioned mindset for translation, the SGKF recommends the further development of university medical infrastructures and the development of translation hubs. These translational hubs are said to be complementary to existing structures, providing infrastructure, qualified personnel, and financial resources available to all scientists involved in medical research. Finally, the researchers are called upon to make extensive use of the DFG's existing funding options for translationally oriented research.
As the recommendations state, many industrial companies have begun to reduce their own scientific activities in order to minimize entrepreneurial risk. "The industry understands itself today often as an investor in research results and increasingly focused on the purchase of (almost) completed translation projects," said the SGKF.
Classical division of responsibilities dissolves
On the other hand, new technological developments were accompanied by the dissolution of the "classical" division of tasks between research, development and application. This is the case, for example, with cellular therapeutic approaches or the 3D printing of implants in which university medicine becomes a manufacturer of pharmaceuticals or medical devices.
"In the context of digitization, there are also opportunities to use large amounts of data for research – for example, through the use of registry data or data from healthcare providers," it continues. For this, however, procedures should be found as to how the legitimate interests of data protection can be reasonably agreed with the technological possibilities.
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