Translation between genomic research and genomic medicine in pediatric oncology

Abstract

Medicine and medical research are interrelated, with medical challenges providing a basis for research and development, which ultimately leads to advances in medicine. Particularly, in the fields of hematology and oncology, medical treatment and research are closely linked; perspectives on medical treatment accelerate research, and the research findings, in turn, advance medical treatment. However, misconceptions related to research have resulted in a shift away from research. Advances in genome analysis technology, particularly next-generation sequencing, have led to the spread of data-driven research, from which hypotheses can be derived after results are obtained. Such large-scale analyses have led to the production of novel results that, otherwise, would not have been observed previously. However, this approach has already been applied to several diseases and is almost saturated, and issues that cannot be elucidated using such an approach remain unresolved. Translational research that focuses on clinical outliers is, therefore, an option to solve this challenge. Hypothesis- and curiosity-driven research, which begins with observations in clinical practice, can lead to new discoveries by taking advantage of advanced technologies. Hence, it is essential to believe in one’s potential and share the joy of learning to aim for new breakthroughs through intellectual curiosity and imagination.