The Molecular Therapy Family: Past, Present, and Future

Abstract

Since its launch, Molecular Therapy has been a very successful journal. Under the leadership of previous Editors-in-Chief Inder Verma, David Williams, and Malcolm Brenner, and with the invaluable contributions of Editor Robert Frederickson, the Deputy and Associate Editors, and the Editorial Board, Molecular Therapy has become the leading journal covering gene and cell therapy. It is also the flagship journal of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT). With the successful launches of the new open-access sister journals (Molecular Therapy—Nucleic Acids, Molecular Therapy—Methods & Clinical Development, and Molecular Therapy—Oncolytics), the family of ASGCT journals has grown further and established itself as an authoritative and influential channel for the publication of basic, translational, and clinical results in gene and cell therapy. With several recent clinical success stories, the field of gene therapy has gotten a strong boost, and the future looks much brighter than it did a decade ago. Although we may still face unexpected setbacks in the future as clinical development progresses, the field has clearly matured, exciting new technologies have become available, and manufacturing of gene and cell therapy products has advanced to a level at which regulatory authorities are willing to consider approvals without any major unjustified fears or preconditions. Molecular Therapy is well placed to be the major channel for publications that exploit new technologies and their future clinical application. We aim to publish the best studies examining novel approaches of broad interest to the field. It is clear that a journal is only as good as the papers it publishes. Therefore, maintenance of an efficient, high-quality review system involving Deputy Editors, Associate Editors, the Editorial Board, and other expert members of the global scientific community will be essential to maintaining the quality of our publications and content in the future. Although the publishing environment is quickly changing as a result of the launch of new open-access journals and e-publication channels, it is my firm belief that a high-quality, authoritative journal such as Molecular Therapy will maintain its leadership in the field. The journal's impact factor is currently 6.4, and we aim to improve it steadily. We will aim for an acceptance rate of approximately 20%, and our rapid decision-making process employing quality reviewers should instill confidence in our community that Molecular Therapy is best placed to serve their publishing needs. We further aim to attract more clinical studies, and it will be essential to expand our reach to studies of therapeutic development for the major chronic diseases. In the next two to three years, we will publish authoritative reviews on timely research topics together with a more basic review series that will evolve into a Web-based basic source of information for those working in gene, cell, and molecular therapy. We will bring to our readers more one-page illustrated commentaries discussing key published papers and important findings published elsewhere in the scientific literature. We will continue to accept reviewer reports from other journals—provided that authors allow transfer of such reviews to the Molecular Therapy editorial office—and we encourage authors to consider this option, which can be facilitated by contacting me directly or Rob Frederickson or any of the Deputy Editors. Similarly, we have established rapid transfer of manuscripts reviewed at Molecular Therapy for publication in an appropriate sister journal in cases where a work is deemed to be of more subspecialty interest. These new publishing venues allow us to provide even better service to both ASGCT members and our international colleagues. As I take over as the Editor-in-Chief of Molecular Therapy for the next five years, I invite all of you to submit your best science and translational and clinical results to Molecular Therapy and to support the journal by reviewing and contributing commentaries and timely reviews. With these measures and by providing authoritative, rapid, high-quality peer review and decision making, I am confident that Molecular Therapy and its sister journals will maintain and advance their leading positions in the field.