From book to bedside? A critical perspective on the debate about translational bioethics

The concept of translational bioethics has received considerable attention in recent years. Most publications draw an analogy to translational medicine and describe bioethical research that aims at implementing and evaluating ethical interventions. However, current accounts of translational bioethics are often rather vague and seem to differ with regard to conceptual and methodological assumptions. It is not clear and scarcely analyzed what exactly translation in the field of bioethics means, in particular regarding goals and processes so that it is justified to appeal to translational medicine. In this article, we thus explore possible analogies and disanalogies between translational medicine and translational bioethics to establish whether the often occurring reference to concepts of translational medicine in the field of bioethics can be justified by substantial analogies. We will first provide an account of different models of translational medicine. In a second step, we will propose an analytic definition that explicitly articulates the essential characteristics of translational research irrespective of the research field (i.e., biomedicine, bioethics). Subsequently, we will explore whether and in how far general characteristics and phases of translational research in medicine can be applied to translational research in bioethics. Based on our analyses, we will come to the skeptical conclusion that at present there are considerable conceptual disanalogies and unsolved conceptual problems that disallow using translational bioethics in a meaningful analogy to respective accounts in biomedicine. Nevertheless, we will demonstrate that some insights gained by the conceptual accounts of translational medicine can contribute to advance current research activities in bioethics.

Automated summary

The concept of translational bioethics, which aims to implement and evaluate ethical interventions, has gained attention in recent years. However, there are vague and differing descriptions regarding its meaning and conceptual frameworks. This article explores the analogies and disanalogies between translational medicine and translational bioethics to determine if the reference to translational medicine in bioethics is justified. The analysis reveals conceptual differences and unsolved problems, suggesting that meaningful analogies between translational bioethics and biomedicine are currently not feasible.