title: Strategies to translate preclinical information to breast cancer patient benefit.
abstract: Despite the progress in understanding breast cancer biology, translation of basic findings into clinical applications still appears to be a complex process, and few molecular markers/signatures are in routine clinical use or currently challenged for their clinical utility. Disease complexity, certainly, represents an obstacle to successful translation, but methodological pitfalls in development and validation steps also contribute. Translational research should be planned as a round-trip from the bench to the bedside and back. The preoperative/neoadjuvant setting represents an ideal model because it allows identification and validation of treatment response predictors and of pharmacodynamic markers associated with clinical downstaging, investigations on in vivo action mechanism of drugs, and indirect validation of findings from preclinical models. Availability of well-annotated, high-quality biospecimens; standardized, reproducible, and robust assays to detect molecular markers/signatures even on few cells; prospective planning of study design; and regulatory issues adequately fitting preclinical and clinical needs represent fundamental assets for translational studies.
authors: Department of Experimental Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, Milan 20133, Italy. mariagrazia.daidone@istitutotumori.mi.it
authors: Maria Grazia
authors: MG
authors: Daidone
authors: Nadia
authors: N
authors: Zaffaroni
authors: Vera
authors: V
authors: Cappelletti
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy / Q000379:methods; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000032:analysis; D012107:Research Design; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering