Pathobiology – Exploring the Basis of Disease

view of potential interventions. The strong subspecialization in medicine renders transdisciplinary work sometimes difficult and consequently publishing results from such studies, too. With the new subtitle, we expect to illustrate how the two components of the name ‘patho’, meaning the disease or alteration, and ‘biology’, the mechanisms causing disease, help to define what kind of studies this journal invites to clarify the basis of diseases. This new subtitle also stresses the various methodological approaches chosen, with the scientific background of the researchers being less important than the goal of the work, i.e. to explore human disease comprehensively and provide clues to alter the course of human diseases. Interestingly, this approach, which is presently termed ‘translational research’, is the continuation of what was called ‘pathology’ at the time this journal was founded in 1938. We hope that the subtitle will sharpen the scope of the journal and attract the research that covers the exploration of causes and mechanisms of diseases applying different means. We wish the authors and readers of our Journal all the best for 2008. Prof. Bettina Borisch , Geneva on behalf of the Editorial Board In 2008, the subtitle Exploring the Basis of Disease has been added to Pathobiology . What led to this decision and what do we expect? To start with, let me remind you of the origins of Pathobiology . It was founded in 1938 as the Schweizerische Zeitschrift für allgemeine Pathologie und Bakteriologie by A. von Albertini, A. Grumbach and H. Mooser, and contained the whole spectrum of what in those days was considered pathology: the way of getting closer to disease was a comprehensive vision in accordance with Rudolf Virchow’s views. The journal was then continued as Pathologia et Microbiologia (1960–1975) and Experimental Cell Biology (1976–1989). Incorporating Pathology and Immunopathology Research , Survey and Synthesis of Pathology Research was inaugurated by J.M. Cruse and R.E. Lewis in 1982. These Editors also coined the name Pathobiology under which they continued the Journal (1990–1998) succeeded by my predecessor C. Wittekind (1999–2004). In a discussion the Editorial Board agreed that the title Pathobiology would greatly benefit from a short explanation in the form of a subtitle. Pathobiology is the journal that offers a forum for original and translational research. The interdisciplinary work that is needed for such studies combines efforts from various disciplines. Their common aim is to elucidate the causes of human diseases in