Translational research: what does it mean, what has it delivered and what might it deliver?

In this article, we review recent developments in translational research in the fields of acute lung injury, acute kidney injury and sepsis with a focus on emerging biomarkers and outline future advances in the field.

There is currently a significant and unmet need for high quality translational research in critical care. The emergence of '-omics' technologies and sophisticated imaging techniques have resulted in a rapid growth of emerging biomarkers. Biomarkers would ideally provide early and reliable endpoints for proof of concept in clinical trials and inform clinical decision making through earlier and more precise diagnosis and risk stratification.

Despite significant investment in basic science and time-consuming clinical trials, the majority of pharmacological interventions developed for critical illness have yet to translate into measurable clinical benefit. Future validation and qualification of emerging biomarkers allied to advances in pharmacogenomic profiling have the potential to provide valuable clinical information while accurately phenotyping patients enrolled in future clinical trials.