Translational research is a fundamental driver of progress in veterinary medicine, effectively bridging the gap between biomedical discovery and clinical application. Within the Comparative and Clinical Medicine section, this collection seeks to highlight how veterinary science, grounded in rigorous methodologies and reinforced by cutting-edge technologies, can generate impactful knowledge with direct translational relevance for both animal and human health. In this context, the One Health paradigm, acknowledging the intrinsic interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, provides a unifying and strategic foundation for both translational and comparative research. From the same perspective, the integration of veterinary clinical insights with laboratory animal science further strengthens experimental rigor, reproducibility, and translational validity. In addition, naturally occurring diseases in companion animals, livestock, and equines often mirror human conditions at clinical, molecular, and pathophysiological levels, offering unique opportunities for comparative investigation. Complementarily, laboratory animal models—including rodents, pigs, fish, and other species—provide controlled and reproducible systems for in-depth mechanistic studies. This comparative perspective fosters a dynamic and bidirectional exchange of knowledge, tools, and technologies between human and veterinary medicine, accelerating the development, validation, and implementation of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. In this continuum, laboratory animal research remains indispensable for early-stage testing, biomarker discovery, and translational validation. Such integration and knowledge exchange represent a cornerstone of the One Health framework and a key enabler of biomedical innovation. We welcome a broad range of article types, with particular emphasis on Original Research and Clinical Trial Reports, as well as high-quality Reviews and Perspective articles. Suggested topics may include, but are not limited to: • Laboratory animal models: development, refinement, and application of experimental systems supporting translational research • One Health-oriented research and Cross-species diagnostics and biomarkers: integrative and interdisciplinary approaches addressing shared health challenges across species and environments • Comparative clinical studies: investigations in veterinary species that mirror human diseases, contributing to the understanding of mechanisms and therapeutic strategies • Veterinary clinical trials: studies with direct translational relevance, including the evaluation of novel drugs, devices, or interventions • Innovative therapies: clinical applications of regenerative medicine, gene therapies, biologics, and targeted treatments • Husbandry, welfare and behaviour of laboratory animals • Anaesthesia, analgesia and surgery in laboratory animal models: advanced anaesthesia and surgery techniques, pain evaluation, pain management • Education and training in laboratory animal science and translational medicine • The 3R principle application: implementation and new strategies
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Classification
Clinical Trial
Editorial
FAIR² Data
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Mini Review
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
