TY  - JOUR
TI  - Most prominent challenges in translational neuroscience and strategic solutions to bridge the gaps: Perspectives from an editorial board interrogation
AU  - Hermann, Dirk M.
AU  - Bacigaluppi, Marco
AU  - Bassetti, Claudio L.
AU  - Bassotti, Gabrio
AU  - Boltze, Johannes
AU  - Chan, Andrew
AU  - Dalkara, Turgay
AU  - Denes, Adam
AU  - Diez-Tejedor, Exuperio
AU  - Dodel, Richard
AU  - Doeppner, Thorsten R.
AU  - Dzyubenko, Egor
AU  - ElAli, Ayman
AU  - Fulop, Tamas
AU  - Gerhard, Alexander
AU  - Giebel, Bernd
AU  - Gronewold, Janine
AU  - Gunzer, Matthias
AU  - Heinbockel, Thomas
AU  - Huang, Kaibin
AU  - Iriti, Marcello
AU  - Karnath, Hans-Otto
AU  - Trenite, Kasteleijn-Nolst
AU  - Kilic, Ertugrul
AU  - Lanza, Giuseppe
AU  - Liesz, Arthur
AU  - Magnus, Tim Ullrich
AU  - Mandrioli, Jessica
AU  - Mohamud-Yusuf, Ayan
AU  - Müller, Thomas
AU  - Pan, Suyue
AU  - Peruzzotti-Jametti, Luca
AU  - Pluchino, Stefano
AU  - Pluta, Ryszard
AU  - Popa-Wagner, Aurel
AU  - Rezayof, Ameneh
AU  - Seghier, Mohamed L.
AU  - Shu, Xinhua
AU  - Singh, Vikram
AU  - Sipilä, Jussi
AU  - Slevin, Mark
AU  - Tang, Yamei
AU  - Tsivgoulis, Georgios
AU  - Varrassi, Giustino
AU  - Wang, Chen
AU  - Yilmaz, Bayram
AU  - Zaki, Maha S.
AU  - Zhang, Jinwei
PY  - 2025
JO  - Exploration of Neuroscience
VL  - 4
SP  - 1006106
DO  - 10.37349/en.2025.1006106
UR  - https://www.explorationpub.com/Journals/en/Article/1006106
AB  - Recent progress in translational neuroscience has significantly advanced our understanding of neurological diseases. Research progress closely went in line with innovations in research methods, which have expanded our insights considerably beyond previous limits. However, despite the development of disease-modifying treatments, therapeutic options in brain diseases still lag behind fundamental discoveries in basic neuroscience. This perspective examines the factors that hinder clinical progress in translational neuroscience and provides solutions on how to overcome them. Editorial board members of Exploration of Neuroscience were interrogated about the most prominent challenges they see in translational neuroscience and about possible ways to overcome these issues. Key challenges were seen at the interface between experimental research and clinical studies by several members, both from the basic and applied neuroscience fields, which include the selection of appropriate study readouts and endpoints. The establishment of refined study endpoints, combined with biomarkers capable of predicting treatment responses in human patients, will be crucial for the successful clinical implementation of new therapies. Further obstacles were found in the standardization of experimental models, interventions, and assessments both in animals and humans, as well as in the development of personalized treatment strategies. These challenges can be addressed through more clearly defined experimental procedures that closely match clinical conditions and precision-based approaches that ensure efficient therapeutic responses. As a great opportunity, treatment options targeting pathophysiological processes in multiple brain diseases and disease processes in different organ systems were noted. Significant barriers remain in the funding of investigator-driven clinical trials through public research programs, as well as the education of translational and clinician scientists dedicated to clinical translation. Enhanced communication between experimental neuroscientists and clinicians, with a shared understanding and common language, will be essential for the success of future research endeavors.
ER  -