Fresh Beginnings

Philip D. Greenberg; Robert D. Schreiber; Linda J. Miller

doi:10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-15-0304

DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-15-0304 Published January 2016

Philip D. Greenberg

Robert D. Schreiber

Linda J. Miller

As the calendar transitions from 2015 to 2016, it is an opportune time to talk about the changes that transpired in the second half of this year at Cancer Immunology Research. Glenn Dranoff, founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal, and Connie Gee, Senior Associate Editor, stepped down from the herculean responsibilities of starting a new journal to pursue new and exciting challenges in the pharmaceutical industry with Novartis. They have been replaced by a new editorial team, consisting of Philip D. Greenberg (University of Washington/Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA) and Robert D. Schreiber (Washington University, St. Louis, MO) as co-Editors-in-Chief and Linda J. Miller as Executive Editor. We are excited to lead Cancer Immunology Research through its next stage of development. We are also extremely grateful to Glenn and Connie for all the hard work they did in launching the Journal, establishing its conceptual focus, and weaving it into the fabric of both the cancer immunology and cancer biology communities.

Our vision for Cancer Immunology Research, including providing a home for outstanding and provocative research in cancer immunology and establishing a forum for educating the greater cancer research community regarding the principles and opportunities in cancer immunology, remains largely unchanged from the goals that prompted the founding of the Journal. We are acutely cognizant of the fact that the fields of cancer immunology and immunotherapy have undergone truly explosive growth in recent years that has moved these subjects to the forefront of molecular medicine. As a consequence, we maintain a strong commitment to publishing superior submissions on basic molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying immune system–tumor interactions; preclinical models that critically test the physiologic relevance of these mechanisms, and/or provide evidence for their therapeutic efficacy; and clinical studies on new therapies, new therapeutic combinations, prognostic and genetic indicators, patient selection, and the most effective methods to administer these therapies. In addition, we continue to be committed to those clinical scientists who wish to better understand immunologic principles and approaches, and who wish to share their experiences with not only other clinical practitioners, but also with the wet-lab researchers who may not have fully anticipated the ramifications of findings made in clinical situations. Finally, we also plan to sustain with invited contributions the Journal's educational mission for the large number of researchers and clinicians who are eager to learn more immunology and gain a better understanding of this foundational field. Cancer Immunology Research will therefore continue to bring together cancer immunologists, cancer biologists, and clinical investigators in pursuit of their common goals of acquiring new insights into the mechanisms that influence cancer development and of using these insights to manifest novel and effective cancer therapies.

The articles that the editors are seeking to publish will share certain characteristics. First and foremost, they must not only teach us something new, but must also be based on solid theoretical and experimental footings. The broader the relevance of the work to this community of researchers and clinical practitioners, the higher priority the manuscript will receive. Manuscripts must describe work that is rigorously designed, well executed, and statistically sound. Clinical cases are of interest if they provide significant import and will affect patient or treatment selection, help prevent or identify potential adverse events, or provide insight into unforeseen clinical benefit or complications. Clinical trials, large and small, are of higher priority when a larger fraction of the community is awaiting the answer. The preclinical studies most attractive to the editors are those with extensive data that provide a rationale for a clinical test or that increase our understanding of mechanisms underlying regulation, complications, failures, or successes.

Our goal is to make Cancer Immunology Research the definitive voice in this rapidly expanding field. We plan on doing this by attracting and publishing your innovative studies in basic, translational, and clinical tumor immunology, state-of-the-art advances in cancer immunotherapy, and seminal reviews on key aspects of immune system–tumor interactions.

We intend to pursue this goal through multiple mechanisms. We hope to distinguish ourselves by offering the fairest and fastest peer review possible, while retaining the highest scientific standards and ensuring the reproducibility of the data we publish. As we refine our process and procedures, we believe we will become even more efficient over time. We will be seeing many of you at meetings and are happy to discuss submission of any potential manuscripts that you perceive may be in the purview of Cancer Immunology Research. In striving to make this Journal the home for the best research in the field of cancer immunology, we especially welcome your input about what you like and do not like about the Journal and your insights into changes that could make it better. Please let us know if you would like to review or get more involved by becoming part of our editorial board. Board membership is not a lifetime commitment, and we anticipate a slow turnover that will always provide room for new views and fresh volunteers. We provide CME credit for reviewing manuscripts as well as CME credit for our Masters articles.

As active members of the cancer immunology and immunotherapy communities, we look forward to working with basic, translational, and clinically oriented researchers interested in all aspects of cancer immunology and immunotherapy. With your help Cancer Immunology Research will both support your needs and become the journal of choice for publishing cutting-edge research in this most exciting of times for our field.