Translational Biophotonics: From research into clinical applications

Abstract

Translational medicine is—much like Biophotonics—a rapidly growing field in biomedical research, with a focus on cross-functional collaboration between researchers and clinicians. We are pleased to announce the launch of Translational Biophotonics (TBIO), an international, interdisciplinary, fully open access journal. The journal is a brand extension of Journal of Biophotonics and will provide a platform where photonic technologies as well as medicine serve as the bridge in integrating translational medical photonic research into clinical practice. While a number of journals already exist on translational medicine, these are mostly specialized on disease-specific and medical areas, such as oncology, urology and so on. It was found, though, that a translational journal is missing with a special focus on photonics in medicine. Moreover, our new journal aims at publishing significant extensions of previous biophotonic research and preclinical studies which are a prerequisite to initiate and stimulate the transition of promising photonic approaches from proof of principle to the clinic for diagnostics and therapy. Thus, the journal will meet a community need for a platform combining the two areas of photonics and medicine. Translational Biophotonics will distinguish itself also from existing journals publishing “lasers in medicine” which usually focus on single aspects like laser techniques in medical and aesthetic treatment, diagnostic applications or the fundamentals of biophotonic progress. The new journal will cover all areas—photonics and medicine—with a much wider breadth of photonic techniques and medical applications. Translation between preclinical and clinical research is the purpose of our journal, aiming at enhancing new clinical applications of biophotonics and, thus, extending the frontiers of light research into clinical applications. The constantly growing number of submissions in Journal of Biophotonics over the last 12 years has demonstrated the broad wealth of biophotonic technologies and laser applications, ranging from cutting edge spectroscopy to microscopy and tomographic imaging approaches for medical diagnosis and therapy. However, most of these contributions cease with the publication of proof-of-concept studies on, for example, phantoms, ex vivo samples or a very limited number of patients where optical and photonic technologies have proven their great potential regarding specific diagnostic and therapeutic issues. Translational Biophotonics will go beyond such proof-of-concept studies by focusing on translational preclinical studies. This stage of research starts before clinical trials on new medical devices, diagnostic tools, therapy solutions or drugs can begin in humans and when important feasibility, iterative and biocompatibility testing is conducted, and safety data are collected. Translational Biophotonics publishes original papers, reviews, letters and preclinical validation studies. Special features are commissioned tutorial reviews that are intended to help researchers and clinicians understand the common ground in their work. All articles published by Translational Biophotonics will be fully open access and immediately freely available to read, download and share. For a limited period, the usual article publication charge payable by authors or institutions will be waived. The Editors are supported by a stellar international editorial board of renowned scientists and clinicians from different research fields. Their expertise and scientific background will help to shape the future and success of this interdisciplinary journal. We look forward to working with authors, reviewers and board members to provide excellent, high-quality content from both the biophotonics and the translational medicine world. You are invited to send us your feedback and propose new topics or features and we welcome your excellent work to be published in Translational Biophotonics June 2019 The Editorial Team Jürgen Popp Editor-in-Chief Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology and Institute for Physical Chemistry & Abbe Center of Photonics (ACP) Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany Carsten Philipp Editor-in-Chief Zentrum Lasermedizin Evangelische Elisabeth Klinik Berlin, Germany Ronald Sroka Editor-in-Chief Department of Urology University Hospital Munich Munich, Germany Christoph Krafft Assistant Editor Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology Jena, Germany Regina Hagen Journal Publishing Manager Wiley Berlin, Germany