The Quest for a Vaccine Against Coccidioidomycosis, A Neglected Disease in the Americas.
Introduction
Translational research is a type of research that is anchored by three main pillars, which include bedside, bench-side, and community. This research seeks to scientifically investigate a problem affecting medical or health practices to develop newer strategies for ensuring quality health performance (Laurence, 2014). Translational research implements a bench to bedside approach where laboratory experiments are conducted, clinical trials, and later the findings are used to develop newer treatment options, medications, or medical devices. As such, the aim of any translational is to develop promising, more modern treatment options that can be clinically applied or be commercialized.
Article Selected: The Quest for a Vaccine Against Coccidioidomycosis, A Neglected Disease in the Americas.
Coccidioidomycosis is a disease that is caused by the inhalation of coccidioides spp. According to the researchers, this disease has been neglected despite its public health impact in desert areas of South America, Mexico, and California. The infections resulting from this disease account for 25,000 hospital admissions annually in California (Kirkland, 2016). The type of translational research used for this study is the five-stage model, which involves T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5. The T1, T2, and T3 stage of the study involved doing basic research and pre-clinical and clinical studies (Laurence, 2014). On the other hand, stage T4 focused clinical implementation of the vaccine trials. Finally, the T5 stage focused on translating the findings to implement it to the public.
Rationale of the Translational Research Strategy Used
The type of translational research applied above is significant since it ensures that the trials are safe before being implemented. Besides, translational research is the most appropriate for the study since, as highlighted above, it aims at developing newer health or medical option or practices that will ensure better health outcomes (Laurence, 2014). In this case, the development of a vaccine for coccidioidomycosis will help curb the spread of the disease (Kirkland, 2016).
References
Kirkland, T. (2016). The Quest for a Vaccine against Coccidioidomycosis: A Neglected Disease of the Americas. Journal of Fungi, 2(4), 34. doi: 10.3390/jof2040034
Laurence, J. (2014). Support for translational research: exhausting all the possibilities. Translational Research, 163(1), 1-2. doi: 10.1016/j.trsl.2013.09.012