Over the years，a chasm between biomedical researchers and the patients who may benefit from their discoveries has been opened. On one hand， millions of patients with diseases such as cancer are anxiously waiting for new remedies to save their lives. On the other hand， many exciting basic science discoveries do not have opportunities to find practical applications. Recently emerging translational medicine aims to tie basic research to clinical results and optimize both patient care and preventive measures.
　　Translational medicine converts promising laboratory discoveries into clinical applications and elucidates clinical questions with the use of bench work， aiming to facilitate prediction， prevention， diagnosis， and treatment of diseases. With the ultimate goal to develop more effective preventive/therapeutic approaches and improve clinical outcomes and health levels， translational medicine is therefore a people （patients and the general population as a whole）-oriented medical practice.
　　The past three decades have witnessed tremendous advances in China in the development of living conditions， food and nutrition， and the health care system. However， while the economy grows and society rapidly transforms， the health care system faces multiple problems. China bears a complex disease spectrum： On one hand， communicable diseases frequently seen in developing countries remain a heavy burden; on the other hand， chronic diseases commonly found in developed countries are also the leading causes of death and disability in China. The situation shows that the health care system in China is facing great challenges， and a state effort is needed to meet these challenges. Therefore China is deepening its reform to improve its people's welfare. The development of translational medicine will accelerate disease control and finding solutions for health problems.
　　Translational medicine is a multidisciplinary program that integrates research from the medical sciences， basic sciences， and social sciences， with the aim of optimizing patient care and preventive measures that may extend beyond health care services. Therefore， close collaboration in an international scale among all the parties is essential to the development of translational medicine.
　　To enhance the aforementioned international collaboration as well as to provide a forum for communication and cross-fertilization among basic， translational， and clinical research practit.ioners， we launch the book series "Translational Medicine Research". It features original and observational investigations in the broad fields of laboratory， clinical， and public health research， aiming to provide practical up- to-date information in significant research from all subspecialties of medicine and to broaden the readers' vision and horizon from bench to bed and bed to bench.
　　In close collaboration with National Infrastructures for Translational Medicine （Shanghai）， the book series "Translational Medicine Research" serves as a state- of-the-art resource for physicians and translational medical researchers alike who are interested in the rapidly evolving field of translational medicine. As the Editor- in-Chief， I welcome all the researchers in related areas to report the latest bench- to-bedside researches in this series， so that the series can promote human health by accelerating the knowledge dissemination in global community.