- Journal of Bone Marrow Biology
- Open access · CC BY 4.0
Aims and Scope
The Journal of Bone Marrow Biology publishes research on all of bone marrow biology, including basic, experimental, translational and clinical research.
What the journal sets out to do
- To publish rigorous research on the biology of bone marrow in health and disease, from stem cells and their niches to blood formation and its disorders.
- To report work that links laboratory findings to patients, including transplantation, cell and gene therapy and the care of marrow disease.
- To strengthen the methods, models and tools on which marrow research depends.
- To make this research openly available, so that researchers and clinicians can read and reuse it freely.
Research areas
JBMB considers research on any aspect of bone marrow biology and its clinical science. The areas below are examples of the field, not a closed list:
- Hematopoietic stem cell biology and differentiation
- Clonal hematopoiesis, aging and the marrow
- Marrow niche, stromal and mesenchymal cell biology
- Vascular, osteoblastic and skeletal compartments of the marrow
- Cytokines, signaling and the extracellular matrix
- Erythropoiesis, anemia and iron biology
- Megakaryocytes and platelet production
- Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
- Graft-versus-host disease and immune reconstitution
- HLA matching and donor selection
- Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma biology
- Myelodysplastic syndromes and myeloproliferative neoplasms
- Aplastic anemia and inherited marrow failure
- Cell therapy and cellular immunotherapy
- Gene editing and gene therapy in hematopoietic cells
- Marrow-derived cells and regenerative medicine
- Single-cell, spatial and imaging methods
- Organoid, animal and in vitro models of the marrow
- Biomarkers, diagnostics and clinical outcomes
- Clinical care of patients with marrow disease
Contributions from the molecular, cellular, genetic, computational, bioengineering and clinical sciences are welcome when they address bone marrow biology.
Basic to clinical
JBMB welcomes basic, experimental, translational and clinical research. Each is submitted as one of the article types listed below.
- Basic and experimental
- Molecular, cellular and in vivo studies of marrow and blood cell biology, including animal and in vitro models.
- Translational
- Studies that connect laboratory findings to patients, including biomarkers, early-phase studies and preclinical development.
- Clinical
- Observational studies, trials and registry analyses of patients with marrow disease or undergoing transplantation.
- Methods and technology
- New, adapted or validated assays, models, imaging, sequencing and computational approaches.
- Evidence synthesis
- Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of defined questions in bone marrow biology and its clinical science.
- Data and resources
- Datasets and protocols that support reuse and reproducibility.
What makes a manuscript a fit
Manuscripts are assessed for their relevance to bone marrow biology, the soundness of their methods and whether their conclusions are proportionate to the evidence.
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Case reports
Case Reports, including short case series, are accepted when the case carries a lesson for research or clinical practice, such as an unusual presentation, a response to therapy or a finding that informs marrow biology.
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Commentaries and letters
Commentaries and Letters are accepted when they make a reasoned argument, supported by evidence and cited sources, on a question in the field or on work published in JBMB.
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Methods and data
Methods and Protocols and Data Notes are accepted when the method or dataset is described in enough detail for others to apply or reuse it.
Article types
The journal publishes the article types below. Guidance on the structure, abstract and reporting standard for each type is given in the Instructions for Authors.
- Original ResearchEmpirical studies in bone marrow biology: basic, experimental, translational or clinical.
- Review ArticleNarrative and critical reviews that synthesize and interpret the literature on a topic in bone marrow biology or its clinical science.
- Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisSystematic syntheses of evidence on a defined question, with or without meta-analysis.
- Methods and ProtocolsNew, adapted or validated methods, and protocols for planned studies.
- Short CommunicationConcise reports of a focused or preliminary finding.
- Data NoteDescriptions of datasets of value to marrow research, their collection, quality and access.
- Case ReportIndividual cases or short case series that carry a lesson for research or clinical practice.
- CommentaryEvidence-based argument on a current question or on published research.
- LetterBrief responses to articles published in JBMB, or short observations of relevance to the field.
Where a manuscript sits between types, authors choose the closest type and explain the choice in the cover letter, and the editors confirm the classification. A short case series is classified as a Case Report, a scoping review as a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, and a study protocol as Methods and Protocols.
Scope questions
Is my topic within scope?
A manuscript is within scope when it addresses bone marrow biology or its clinical science. If you are unsure, send the title and abstract to the editorial office at info@openaccesspub.org before submitting.
Are clinical studies considered?
Yes. Clinical research on marrow disease, transplantation and cell or gene therapy is considered alongside basic, experimental and translational work.
Can I submit work that has been posted as a preprint?
Yes. Posting a preprint is compatible with submission to JBMB when the posting is disclosed. Cite the preprint in the cover letter.
Preparing a submission
Read the Instructions for Authors and the Editorial Policies before submitting.