Grant: Project Grant

Drugs and other treatments are often shown to be very effective in animal studies performed in laboratories. However, these promising findings rarely translate to the human population. In 2003, a landmark review of laboratory studies demonstrated only 5% of highly promising animal experiments led to successful treatments in humans. This statistic is frequently quoted however it is unclear if the rate of 'bench-to-beside' translation has changed in the fifteen years since the study was published. In the interim, many initiatives have been implemented to address underlying reasons for this failure, including poor experimental design, suboptimal laboratory models, and poor reporting. Given the vast amount of resources consumed by basic biomedical research meant to inform human health, an update of this landmark study is needed to understand if the rate of successful 'bench-to-bedside' translation has changed. Through this updated review we will also identify the trajectory of therapies that have been translated from the lab to patients. By studying these success stories we hope to be understand the characteristics of successful translation.