Welcome to the World Journal of Immunology

Abstract

We are pleased to announce the launch of the World Journal of Immunology (WJI) as a new member of the family of the World series of journals. The pace of discovery in the field of immunology has accelerated significantly in recent years due to important discoveries and the implementation of new technologies and methodologies that have become readily accessible to many investigators. WJI is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal, whose preparatory work was initiated on November 30, 2010 and will be officially published on December 27, 2011. The WJI Editorial Board consists of 99 experts in experimental medicine from 23 countries. By taking into account the widespread use of the internet and the necessity that scientific journals should reach out to wider audiences through the provision of barrier-free information, WJI aims to provide rapid publication through an established system that is targeted at dissemination to the scientific community via online open-access.

Key Words: Immunology, Journal, Open-access, Peer-reviewed

INTRODUCTION

I am Antonio La Cava, a Professor from the University of California Los Angeles (Figure 1), and together with Seung-Yong Seong, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, we will be the co-Editor-in-Chief for World Journal of Immunology (World J Immunol, WJI, online ISSN 2219-2824, DOI: 10.5411). I am very pleased to announce that the first issue of WJI, on which preparation was initiated on November 30, 2010, is officially published on December 27, 2011. WJI is a bimonthly peer-reviewed, online, open-access, journal supported by an editorial board consisting of 99 experts in immunology from 23 countries. It is my great honor and pleasure to introduce WJI as a new forum for both fundamental and clinical immunology. By covering immunological advances in cellular, biochemical and molecular biology; in vitro and in vivo investigations; basic, translational and clinical immune work, animal models and human studies, WJI appears well suited for a broad audience that has an interest in the multiple subdisciplines of the expanding world of immunology.

Figure 1 Editor-in-Chief of the World Journal of Immunology. Antonio La Cava, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1670, United States.

Although there are already many journals focusing on immunology, the launch of WJI responds to the major technological shift in academic publishing practices during the last decade, that with the internet witnessed an unprecedented revolution in the way science is published and communicated[1]. WJI aims to extend this aspect to immunologists who want their work published rapidly for access to a broad audience.

WJI publishes papers without size limits with a quick editorial turnaround and time-to-publication process, aiming at rapidly reporting results of immunological research through a platform that can facilitate the translation of knowledge into improved human health. To ensure advantages for both authors and readers and the high quality of the published work, submitted manuscripts undergo critical peer review prior to publication.

CONTENTS FOR PEER REVIEW

In order to guarantee the quality of articles published in the journal, WJI usually invites three experts to comment on the submitted papers. The contents for peer review include: (1) whether the contents of the manuscript are of great importance and novelty; (2) whether the experiment is complete and described clearly; (3) whether the discussion and conclusion are justified; (4) whether the citations of references are necessary and reasonable; and (5) whether the presentation and use of tables and figures are correct and complete.

SCOPE

The original articles and reviews in WJI cover a wide range of subjects including: (1) autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, thyroiditis, myasthenia gravis, both in humans and in animal models of disease, with an interest on aspects including the etiology, pathogenesis, mechanisms of disease induction, maintenance and progression; (2) tumor immunology including immunosurveillance, immunoediting and immunotherapies in animal models and in humans; (3) clinical immunology in humans and animal models including mechanisms of disease, regulation and therapy and immunodeficiencies; (4) innate immunity including cell subsets, receptors and soluble mediators, complement and inflammation; (5) adaptive immune mechanisms and cells including soluble mediators and antibodies; (6) immune cell development, differentiation, maturation; (7) control mechanisms for immune cells including immune tolerance and apoptosis; (8) immune cell interactions and immune cell receptors; (9) immunological methods and techniques; (10) immune cell activation including cell signaling pathways, biochemical and pharmacologic modulation studies; (11) infection; (12) different modalities of vaccination including gene therapy; (13) hypersensitivity and allergy; and (14) transplantation.

COLUMNS

The columns in the issues of WJI will include: (1) Editorial: To introduce and comment on the substantial advances and their importance in fast-developing areas; (2) Frontier: To review the most representative achievements and comment on the current research status in important fields, and propose directions for future research; (3) Topic Highlight: This column consists of three formats, including (A) 10 invited review articles on a hot topic, (B) a commentary on common issues of this hot topic, and (C) a commentary on the 10 individual articles; (4) Observation: To update the development of old and new questions, highlight unsolved problems, and provide strategies on how to solve the questions; (5) Guidelines for Clinical Practice: To provide guidelines for clinical diagnosis and treatment; (6) Review: To systemically review the most representative progress and unsolved problems in the major scientific disciplines, comment on the current research status, and make suggestions on future work; (7) Original Articles: To report original innovative and valuable findings in immunology; (8) Brief Articles: To briefly report the novel and innovative findings in immunology; (9) Case Report: To report a rare or typical case; (10) Letters to the Editor: To discuss and reply to the contributions published in WJI, or to introduce and comment on a controversial issue of general interest; (11) Book Reviews: To introduce and comment on quality monographs of immunology; and (12) Guidelines: To introduce consensuses and guidelines reached by international and national academic authorities worldwide on the research in immunology.

In summary, we propose WJI as a new forum that can provide answers to important questions on a wide array of topics across multiple immunological disciplines through open access. With our innovative and ambitious publisher, WJI will contribute to the swift communication of scientific results in immunology, and contribute to make immunological research more open.