How Münster, as a Centre of Medicine, transfers knowledge faster to patient care

The different phases of translational research fit together like the pieces of a puzzle: from experimental approaches in the laboratory, through preclinical models, to application in patients. In this way, scientific knowledge is transformed into medical progress. © Uni MS - Michael Kuhlmann (Bilder oben), UKM (unten)

From bench to bedside - and back

Why does it often take so long for a discovery in the laboratory to turn into an improvement for patients? It is precisely here - with this question, at this interface - that translational research kicks in. The term "translational research" first cropped up in the 1990s in biomedical research; in the 2000s it became a recurring theme in funding programmes. What is meant by it is the "translation" of findings, taking them from basic research into specific applications and, at the same time, back into the field of research if observations made in clinics, in patient care or in the population at large throw up new questions.

Translational research can be imagined as a bridge which links several stages. At the beginning there is often an idea: a new signalling pathway, a biomarker, a possible candidate for a new active ingredient, or a technical process. There then follow pre-clinical studies, for example in cell cultures or models, with the aim of understanding mechanisms, effectiveness and safety. Only after this phase do the clinical studies begin - initially small (Phase I, safety), then larger (Phase II/III, effectiveness and comparison with standard therapies). Finally, there follows approval, the recouping of costs, guidelines, and implementation in everyday patient care. It is not rare for ten to 15 years to pass from the original idea to widespread application.

Prof Jan Rossaint © UKM One specific example from Münster is the Clinical Research Group - funded by the German Research Foundation - entitled "Organ Dysfunction during Systemic Inflammation". In this group, researchers from several clinics and institutes are investigating why, in the case of severe systemic inflammatory reactions such as sepsis, failure of vital organs occurs. The aim at Münster University Hospital is to identify relevant molecular and cellular signalling pathways, examine potential therapeutic approaches in pre-clinical models and design clinical observation and intervention studies in such a way that mechanisms can give rise to specific, verifiable strategies.

The clinical group combines projects from the fields of inflammation and cell biology, imaging and microbiology, and the clinical management of sepsis and organ failure. Such research alliances show how clinically important decisions can emerge step-by-step from the complex biology of disease - from biomarkers to personalised therapies. This also makes it clear what translational research is not: it does not mean just "laboratory work", but rather the whole pathway into clinical studies, into patient care and - ideally - into society as a whole. The benefit can be huge: better chances of cures, fewer side-effects, earlier diagnoses, targeted prevention and, as a result, more quality of life and less pressure on the health system.

Translational research is therefore teamwork. In addition to biology and medicine, what is needed is pharmacy, chemistry, engineering and materials science, healthcare and health sciences, ethics, law and health economics - and, increasingly, data science: from imaging and huge data sets of biological molecules - so-called omics data - to electronic patient data and real-world evidence. These are medical data which are collected as part of routine patient care. Equally important are collaborations with clinics, non-university research institutions, business partners and start-ups - but also with patients' organisations and the general public. This is because acceptance and active participation - in the form of patient involvement, for example - play a role in deciding whether innovations find their way into everyday life.

This is where Münster, as a Centre of Medicine, plays to its strengths. The close interconnectedness of University, Medical Faculty and Münster University Hospital creates short distances between laboratory, clinic and study infrastructure. Interdisciplinary research alliances, joint platforms and experienced study centres help in examining ideas fast, involving patients safely and playing the results back into patient care. This proximity makes translation faster, safer and closer to patients.

The future of translational research lies in precision medicine, biological and digital biomarkers, personalised therapies, new vaccination and cell technologies and in patient care which learns from data. If we can succeed in interlocking, ever more closely, research, clinical practice and society as a whole, then knowledge will turn into life itself: translational research turns scientific curiosity into specific benefits - and the University of Münster into a place where health and quality of life can be improved long-term.

Author Prof Jan Rossaint works in the Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Therapy at Münster University Hospital

This article is part of a series on the subject of translational research and was first published in the University newspaper wissen|leben No. 1, 4 February 2026.