International Journal of Translational Medicine: An Interdisciplinary Open Access Journal to Publish Your Biomedical Research with a “Bench-to-Bedside” Approach

The International Journal of Translational Medicine (ISSN 2673-8937) is an open access journal that lays its foundation in a diverse editorial board that takes advantage from the distinctive expertise of the various members [1]. Main focus of the journal is to build a bridge between bench research and the bedside by publishing scientific articles which clearly emphasize basic research that has the potential to be applied to the clinics. The journal is attractive not only for its open access format, but it may be appealing to a larger audience because of the interdisciplinary agenda that the editorial board and the Editorin-Chief have outlined. The interdisciplinary approach in medicine we chose to take is very much needed because, as the last decade of publications has shown, research in every healthcare-oriented field has been accelerated by the circulation and cross-contamination of ideas between the various scientific sectors in the medical field to achieve what we thought was unimaginable before. We encourage our readers to take a look at the list of interdisciplinary papers that will be published in this open access journal to broaden their views by letting these ideas inspire new and more advanced research.

The International Journal of Translational Medicine (ISSN 2673-8937) is an open access journal that lays its foundation in a diverse editorial board that takes advantage from the distinctive expertise of the various members [1]. Main focus of the journal is to build a bridge between bench research and the bedside by publishing scientific articles which clearly emphasize basic research that has the potential to be applied to the clinics. The journal is attractive not only for its open access format, but it may be appealing to a larger audience because of the interdisciplinary agenda that the editorial board and the Editorin-Chief have outlined. The interdisciplinary approach in medicine we chose to take is very much needed because, as the last decade of publications has shown, research in every healthcare-oriented field has been accelerated by the circulation and cross-contamination of ideas between the various scientific sectors in the medical field to achieve what we thought was unimaginable before. We encourage our readers to take a look at the list of interdisciplinary papers that will be published in this open access journal to broaden their views by letting these ideas inspire new and more advanced research.

Why the International Journal of Translational Medicine?
The ultimate aim of this journal will be to provide space to those studies that start from a clinical question, address it by transitioning to the bench, and then translate the solution to the bedside once the original clinical question is solved. The journal favors those studies and clinical observations that are generated by clear hypothesis-driven questions, which are disease-oriented, and which guide the investigations. As Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Translational Medicine, I would like the journal to emphasize the clinical applicability of new biomaterials, biotechnologies, bioengineering, biomarkers, diagnostics, omics science, molecular medicine, bioinformatics, immunology, molecular imaging, drug discovery and development, population health, infectious disease, gene therapy, stem cells, cancer stem cells, in cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Why Would You Submit Your Work to the International Journal of Translational Medicine?
We are aware that there are a sizable number of already existing scientific journals in the field of translational research. However, we can think of several reasons why you should consider publishing your research in the International Journal of Translational Medicine.

1.
The International Journal of Translational Medicine is committed to building bridges aimed at fostering the transition between the preclinical (basic) and clinical stages of new medicines during the research and development (R&D) process, which is the transition of laboratory research discoveries to the clinics. This is because, as noted by the US National Institute of Health, despite increased efforts and investments into R&D, the pipeline of novel drugs has been declining dramatically over recent past years. Improvement of the difficult transition between preclinical and clinical stages in the R&D process is the only remedy to the widening gap between the R&D input and the output in the clinics. Making this process better is the main goal of the International Journal of Translational Medicine.

2.
The journal provides a fair, fast, rigorous and transparent peer review process between all parties involved: submitting authors, editors, and professional staff at MDPI.

3.
Being open access (free access and free download of published articles) the journal promotes the diffusion of scientific knowledge free of charge for the readers allowing for the widespread diffusion and circulation of the scientific findings. This may have a positive impact on the citation index and funding activities of the publishing authors.
We hope that you will find the International Journal of Translational Medicine to be an alternative to publish your results in a journal that offers to fast track the handling of your submitted work, but that still follows a rigorous and transparent peer-review process. We follow the highest ethical standards during the review process to make sure the journal remains respected as a high-quality open access journal with the greatest possible reach and research impact in the translational medicine community.
Funding: This research received no external funding.

Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable.

Conflicts of Interest:
The author declares no conflict of interest.

1.
International Journal of Translational Medicine Home Page. Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijtm (accessed on 12 May 2020). R&D, the pipeline of novel drugs has been declining dramatically over recent past years.

Short Biography of the Author
Improvement of the difficult transition between preclinical and clinical stages in the R&D process is the only remedy to the widening gap between the R&D input and the output in the clinics. Making this process better is the main goal of the International Journal of Translational Medicine.
2. The journal provides a fair, fast, rigorous and transparent peer review process between all parties involved: submitting authors, editors, and professional staff at MDPI. 3. Being open access (free access and free download of published articles) the journal promotes the diffusion of scientific knowledge free of charge for the readers allowing for the widespread diffusion and circulation of the scientific findings. This may have a positive impact on the citation index and funding activities of the publishing authors.
We hope that you will find the International Journal of Translational Medicine to be an alternative to publish your results in a journal that offers to fast track the handling of your submitted work, but that still follows a rigorous and transparent peer-review process. We follow the highest ethical standards during the review process to make sure the journal remains respected as a high-quality open access journal with the greatest possible reach and research impact in the translational medicine community.

Short Biography of Author
Pier Paolo Claudio completed a Medicine and Surgery degree in 1989 at the University Federico II, in Naples, Italy, graduating summa cum laude, on the basis of a public defense of the thesis dissertation: "Selective Endo-Arterial Chemotherapy for Advanced Head & Neck Tumors". He also completed a doctorate in Maxillofacial Sciences and Maxillofacial Surgery in 1994 at the University Federico II, in Naples, Italy, graduating summa cum laude, on the basis of a public defense of the thesis dissertation: "Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Epidemiology, Clinic, and New Frontiers of Research".
Following two years of postdoctoral fellowship at Temple University and two more years at Thomas Jefferson University, in Philadelphia, he joined the faculty at Thomas Jefferson University as assistant professor in 1998, and was promoted to associate professor in 2000. At Thomas Jefferson University for his research he was awarded an international Patent for the use of adenoviral gene therapy in the prevention of restenosis after angioplasty. In 2002 he joined the Temple University faculty as associate professor and director of the Molecular Therapeutic Program where he expanded his research on viral gene therapy and developed a novel delivery system for safer gene transfer protocols that employes the unique characteristics of ultrasound contrast agents to deliver therapeutic genes to a diseased tissue. For this research he was awarded an international Patent in 2013 for the theranostic use of ultrasound contrast agents to deliver therapeutic genes to tissues. In 2006 he joined the faculty at Marshall University as associate professor where he gained tenure and became director of the Translational Genomics Institute Laboratories at the Pier Paolo Claudio completed a Medicine and Surgery Master Degree in 1989 at the University Federico II, in Naples, Italy, graduating summa cum laude, on the basis of a public defense of the thesis dissertation: "Selective Endo-Arterial Chemotherapy for Advanced Head & Neck Tumors". He also completed a doctorate in Maxillofacial Sciences and Maxillofacial Surgery in 1994 at the University Federico II, in Naples, Italy, graduating summa cum laude, on the basis of a public defense of the thesis dissertation: "Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Epidemiology, Clinic, and New Frontiers of Research". Following two years of postdoctoral fellowship at Temple University and two more years at Thomas Jefferson University, in Philadelphia, he joined the faculty at Thomas Jefferson University as assistant professor in 1998, and was promoted to associate professor in 2000. At Thomas Jefferson University for his research he was awarded an international Patent for the use of adenoviral gene therapy in the prevention of restenosis after angioplasty. In 2002, he joined the Temple University faculty as associate professor and director of the Molecular Therapeutic Program where he expanded his research on viral gene therapy and developed a novel delivery system for safer gene transfer protocols that employes the unique characteristics of ultrasound contrast agents to deliver therapeutic genes to a diseased tissue. For this research he was awarded an international Patent in 2013 for the theranostic use of ultrasound contrast agents to deliver therapeutic genes to tissues. In 2006, he joined the faculty at Marshall University as associate professor where he gained tenure and became director of the Translational Genomics Institute Laboratories at the Joan C. Edwards Cancer Center in Huntington West Virginia where he focused his research on the effects that chemotherapy drugs and various diet components have on the growth and survival of the root of cancer, i.e., the cancer stem cells (CSCs). Between 2006 and 2009, he co-developed a cell culture method, which enables the selection and proliferation of adult stem cells from normal human tissues and of cancer stem cells (CSCs) from patient tumor biopsies. This method was awarded three international Patents between 2015 and 2016, for the production of adult stem cells and cancer stem cells and for their use to screen chemotherapeutic agents and treating cancer. Using these methods, he co-developed the ChemoID assay, which is a Cancer Stem Cell cytotoxicity assay to predict more effective chemotherapies against cancer. The test is currently being prospectively used in two Phase-III randomized clinical trials to guide chemotherapy treatments for recurrent glioblastoma and recurrent ovarian cancer patients (NCT03949283 and NCT03632135). In 2015, Dr. Claudio joined the faculty at the University of Mississippi and the Cancer Center & Resdearch Institute as full professor with tenure, Director of translational cancer research laboratories and Director of the Stem Cell Core with a team of researchers focused at translating into practice several botanical extracts with anticancer properties. Currently, the focus of his laboratory is to bridge and integrate the basic cancer research conducted at the National Center for Natural Product Research (NCNPR), the School of Pharmacy, the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, and the Cancer Center & Research Institute in Jackson with various clinical oncology research groups, surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and radiologists in an effort to translate discoveries and laboratory work conducted at the University into clinical evaluations and personalized medicine. Dr. Claudio published over 180 manuscripts in peer-reviewed scientific journals and 13 book chapters on cancer therapeutics, and he is the editor of four books on cancer.