Editorial

With the professional expertise and excellence of Wiley publisher, a new journal, Barrier Immunity, is born. It serves as a platform for publishing important and exciting research findings within and associated with the immune responses of anatomical and functional barriers. Why do we need a new journal for the barrier immune system? The barrier immune system in the human body can be classified into anatomical and functional barriers. Anatomical barriers are structural elements such as the skin and mucous membranes of the respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive tracts, oral cavity, and other parts of the body. These barriers form a protective shield at the body's entrances, physically preventing pathogens from entering and causing infection. Functional barriers refer to the immune responses occurring within these anatomical barriers, which not only protect the integrity of tissues and organs but also influence the functions of other tissues and systems in the body. Human barrier immunity encompasses multiple organs and systems that work together to form a comprehensive defense against pathogens, maintaining immune tolerance to self-tissues and organs while peacefully coexisting with normal microbiota and other organisms. The delicate balance between immune tolerance and immunity within the barrier systems is essential for the overall well-being of the body. To induce, maintain, and repair this balance and ensure proper immune function within the barrier systems, regulation of genetic, epigenetic, and metabolic processes, as well as biochemical and enzymatic reactions among immune cells, are required. Furthermore, interactions and cross-talk between the immune system and non-immune systems, such as epithelial cells, blood vessels, and stromal cells within the barrier system, play crucial roles. Additionally, the mutual influence and regulation between the microbiome and the immune system, metabolic processes, and neurological systems within the barrier system have emerged as exciting areas of investigation. This interplay affects the function of tissues and organs in physiological processes and pathological conditions such as inflammation, autoimmune diseases, transplant rejection, cancer, and infectious diseases. Advances in immunotherapy, involving manipulations of the immune system at genetic, epigenetic, molecular biological, and metabolic levels within immune cells, as well as regulation of the microbiota with antibodies, small molecules, and engineered immune cells such as CAR-T cells, represent important areas for exploration. Equally important are the advances and new findings from bench-to-bedside translational and clinical studies within the barrier systems related to classical internal medicine and surgery, as well as the application of new methods and approaches to treatment. However, there is currently a lack of journals dedicated to the specific area of barrier systems and barrier immunity. Moreover, few journals focus on the entire barrier system and the immune responses involved, combining basic mechanisms with clinical research. Hence, Barrier Immunity has been launched to address this gap. The aim of Barrier Immunity is to provide a platform for communication in research on the biology of barrier systems and their interaction with other systems in the body. Our readers will not only include basic and clinical investigators researching barrier systems but also scientists and physicians in other areas and disciplines who are interested in the biology of barriers and immunity. Although the primary goal of Barrier Immunity is to rapidly publish the highest-quality research papers reporting the most exciting and impactful research results and findings in the barrier system and beyond, with interests extending to scientific and medical societies, other features including Reviews, News & Views, Commentary, Correspondence, and Clinical Case Reports will also be welcome. This approach aims to widen the scope of the journal and extend its impact to readers within and outside the barrier system. For Research Articles, Barrier Immunity will cover all aspects of important and exciting scientific discoveries and results within and associated with the barrier system. Although the primary topic covered in Barrier Immunity is the immunology of the whole barrier system, the journal will equally be interested in and publish exciting research findings in the fields of genetics, epigenetics, biochemistry, molecular biology, systems biology, and metabolism of cells in the barrier system. Research findings and results addressing mutual regulation, cross-talk, and interactions between immune responses and the aforementioned disciplines in the context of normal physiological states and abnormal pathological conditions and diseases are particularly welcome. Both basic and clinical studies and investigations are equally important, and thus findings from basic mechanism studies and clinical investigations will be treated equally. The journal is particularly interested in and welcomes results derived from translational research, by applying knowledge and discoveries derived from basic mechanism studies to preclinical animal models and clinical settings, to understand etiology and pathogenesis, and develop potential therapies for all types of human diseases. This includes, but is not limited to, inflammation, autoimmune diseases, allergies, cancer, transplant rejection, and infectious diseases in the barrier system and beyond. The basic and essential factors for a research article to be published in Barrier Immunity are conceptual novelty, underlying mechanism, and biological significance, which are not different from other prestigious scientific journals. In addition to Research Articles, which present complete sets of research results and conclusions, Barrier Immunity will also publish Rapid Papers. These describe and present short, concise but exciting novel discoveries, new mechanisms to known phenomena, newly developed therapies and treatments, new diagnostic methods for certain diseases, and even new technologies that may impact the field. As Research Articles extensively employ intricate scientific and technical terms and descriptions, which may pose challenges for scientists, clinical investigators, and other interested readers outside the field, Barrier Immunity will also publish Reviews to discuss and elucidate the most exciting and advanced discoveries, along with their potential implications within and/or related to barrier system studies. Reviews may be commissioned by the editors or directly submitted by scientists and clinical investigators. Like Research Articles, Reviews are generally peer-reviewed. In certain cases, Short Reviews aimed at discussing a particular topic and single exciting finding or discovery will also be considered for publication in the journal. In each issue of Barrier Immunity, experts may be invited to introduce and comment on a specific Research Article appearing in the same issue, aiding readers in better understanding and appreciating the significance and meaning of the research findings. This section is called Commentary. Additionally, to uphold the integrity of scientific publications and the journal, and to maintain transparency of published papers, Barrier Immunity may also feature a Correspondence section. This segment provides a platform for readers to raise concerns, arguments, and questions regarding any published papers in the journal. Simultaneously, the editors will invite the authors of the queried paper to provide their response and explanation. Since Barrier Immunity caters to both basic and clinical investigators, including physicians, the journal also publishes Case Reports. These reports document particular cases of patients or diseases, such as new diseases or novel treatments or therapies with unexpected benefits for patients. The aim of a case report is to stimulate further investigations into a particular disease. How are manuscripts handled and processed? Authors are encouraged to read the information for authors on Barrier Immunity's homepage. The journal has assembled a lineup of prominent experts serving as editors and advisory board members, encompassing both basic and clinical scientists, clinicians, with expertise covering various areas of barrier immunity from around the world. While Barrier Immunity primarily focuses on the entire barrier system, the papers published in the journal should not be limited to barrier organs and systems. They should have broader impacts and influence on biology and medicine beyond the barrier system. With the advertisement of the highest quality papers from authors, maintaining professional and highest standards of scientific integrity by editors, supported by the professional and experienced expertise of Wiley publishers, and with the support of readers across the world, Barrier Immunity aims to become an essential and premier journal of the barrier system and beyond. Wanjun Chen: conceptualization, writing – original draft, writing – review and editing, investigation, validation, supervision. I am the Editor-in-Chief of Barrier Immunity. The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

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