Speaking the Same Language: Team Science Approaches in Aging Research for Integrating Basic and Translational Science with Clinical Practice

Faculty from the UPMC Division of Geriatric Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Aging Institute, and University of Pittsburgh Department of Physical Therapy recently published a framework that supports the importance of reducing the barriers to collaborative interactions by promoting a common language through team science for aging patients.

Reference: Stacey Sukoff Rizzo, Toren Finkel, Susan Greenspan, Neil Resnick, Jennifer Brach, Speaking the Same Language: Team Science Approaches in Aging Research for Integrating Basic and Translational Science With Clinical Practice, Innovation in Aging, Volume 7, Issue 4, 2023, igad035, https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igad035.

Background: Research on aging and progress in the basic science of aging is increasingly influencing medical practice. Therefore, the application and translation of geriatric science requires that all researchers communicate effectively to understand the identification of new biomarkers, novel molecular targets as potential therapeutic agents, and translational in vivo studies to assess the potential efficacy of new interventions. A multidisciplinary approach is needed to positively impact the collaboration and communication of researchers across aging-related research disciplines.

The University of Pittsburgh Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center has attempted to reduce the barriers to collaborative interactions by promoting a common language through team science. It is believed that the result of these efforts will improve the ability to conduct the first-in-human clinical trials of novel agents to extend health and life span.

Methods: The University of Pittsburgh Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center developed an exercise that involved pairing a basic science researcher with a clinical researcher, with the goal of designing a hypothetical translational study using preclinical model systems and best matching to a proposed clinical trial design.

A rubric was created to prompt discussions between the two parties, and they were provided with an example of a hypothetical study design involving a nonpharmacological intervention. In this example case, the clinical study aimed to improve balance and mobility in older adults (age 65+) through an intervention of gait training on a treadmill. The research question was to evaluate whether gait training on a treadmill decreases gait variability and improves gait efficiency and physical activity versus over-ground walking.

Results: The science researcher and clinical researcher discussed the optimal clinical study population, the primary and secondary endpoints, and biomarkers to correlate functional outcomes. They also pinpointed the most appropriate animal model, the analogous primary and secondary endpoints, and a biomarker to correlate the functional outcomes that were identical across species. After discussing the hypothetical situation, it is believed that this framework accelerates interventions that would ultimately enhance human longevity.

Conclusions: As the field of geriatric science continues to evolve and potential therapeutic interventions are proposed, translational studies that bridge the gap from bench to bedside are increasingly needed. There is also a need for comprehensive comparative studies of aging to better enable more precise translational research.