Reflections on a Decade of Lymphatic Research and Biology

With this issue of Lymphatic Research and Biology, we enter the tenth year of our publication history. This is certainly a noteworthy milestone since it finds our journal in robust good health. As the journal embarks upon its teenage years, it is continuing to experience its expected rapid growth spurts and, at the same time, to begin to take on some of the fully formed features of maturity.

This decade of publication history has paralleled an unprecedented growth in the biomedical emphasis on lymphatic biology, with exponential growth in the funding for research initiatives and the published literature related to these efforts. There have been substantive advances in our comprehension of the molecular, structural, and functional attributes of normal and abnormal lymphatic development, and of the genetic platform that drives many forms of lymphatic vascular disease. While this can be considered nothing more than a “good beginning,” the future appears bright for the field of lymphatic biomedical investigation.

From the outset, this journal has been aligned with the concept of the “lymphatic continuum,” a term that can be used to denote the broad impact of normal and abnormal lymphatic function across the spectrum of human biology, health and disease.^1–3 Now, more than ever, it would seem that the concept is valid and vibrant, as we increasingly learn of lymphatic mechanisms related to cancer, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, metabolic derangements, and autoimmune pathology.

As an acknowledgment of these important phenomena, the next decade of this journal's publication philosophy will be characterized by some important changes. Starting with this issue, I have appointed several key Section Editors to deal with vital categories of investigation: these currently include individuals responsible for Lymphatics and Cancer; Vascular Anomalies; Lymphatic Physiology and Pharmacology; Lymphatics and Interstitial Biology; Lymphatics and Inflammation; Lymphatics and Immunology; Genetics and Development; and Clinical and Translational Research. We seek to embrace authors and investigators who represent these domains. In addition, to acknowledge the truly international nature of lymphatic research and biology, we have appointed European, Asian, and Australian editors to represent the unique publication needs of investigators from those geographical regions.

It is truly gratifying to look back upon the accomplishments of Lymphatic Research and Biology as we anticipate the exciting decade to come!