Aims & Scope
Journal of Bone Marrow Biology (JBMB) publishes original research and comprehensive reviews on hematopoietic stem cell biology, bone marrow microenvironment, transplantation immunology, and clinical applications of bone marrow-derived therapies across hematologic malignancies and regenerative medicine.
Research Scope: Tiered Structure
Tier 1: Core Research Domains
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Biology
- Stem cell self-renewal and differentiation mechanisms
- Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) niche interactions
- Clonal hematopoiesis and aging
- Transcriptional regulation of hematopoiesis
- HSC mobilization and homing biology
- Ex vivo HSC expansion technologies
"CXCR4-mediated signaling regulates HSC quiescence in the endosteal niche through Notch pathway modulation"
Bone Marrow Transplantation Science
- Allogeneic and autologous transplantation outcomes
- Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) mechanisms and prevention
- Graft-versus-leukemia effects
- HLA matching and immunological compatibility
- Conditioning regimens and toxicity management
- Post-transplant immune reconstitution
"Reduced-intensity conditioning with post-transplant cyclophosphamide reduces acute GVHD in haploidentical transplantation"
Hematologic Malignancies & Bone Marrow Disorders
- Acute and chronic leukemias (AML, ALL, CML, CLL)
- Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)
- Multiple myeloma and plasma cell disorders
- Lymphomas with bone marrow involvement
- Bone marrow failure syndromes (aplastic anemia, Fanconi anemia)
- Myeloproliferative neoplasms
"Clonal evolution patterns in MDS progression to AML identified through single-cell genomics of bone marrow aspirates"
Bone Marrow Microenvironment
- Stromal cell populations and mesenchymal stem cells
- Vascular niche and endothelial interactions
- Osteoblastic niche regulation
- Cytokine networks and growth factor signaling
- Extracellular matrix remodeling
- Metabolic regulation of the bone marrow niche
"Leptin receptor-expressing stromal cells maintain HSC quiescence through CXCL12 secretion in the perivascular niche"
Tier 2: Secondary Focus Areas
Translational & Clinical Research
- Biomarker discovery for bone marrow diseases
- Minimal residual disease (MRD) detection methods
- Personalized medicine approaches in hematology
- Novel diagnostic techniques (flow cytometry, molecular profiling)
- Clinical trial outcomes in bone marrow disorders
Gene & Cell Therapy
- Gene editing in hematopoietic cells (CRISPR, base editing)
- CAR-T cell therapy for hematologic malignancies
- Lentiviral and AAV vector development
- Gene therapy for inherited bone marrow disorders
- Cellular immunotherapy approaches
Regenerative Medicine Applications
- Mesenchymal stem cell therapy (bone marrow-derived only)
- Bone marrow-derived cell therapy for tissue repair
- Hematopoietic cell transplantation for non-malignant diseases
- Immune modulation using bone marrow-derived cells
Tier 3: Emerging & Selective Areas
Computational & Systems Biology
- Single-cell omics of bone marrow populations
- Computational modeling of hematopoiesis
- AI/machine learning for disease classification
- Systems biology approaches to bone marrow function
Novel Technologies & Methods
- Organoid models of bone marrow
- Advanced imaging of bone marrow microenvironment
- Microfluidic systems for HSC study
- Spatial transcriptomics of bone marrow tissue
Submissions in Tier 3 areas undergo additional editorial review to ensure strong relevance to bone marrow biology. Studies must demonstrate clear mechanistic insights or clinical implications for bone marrow function or disease.
Out of Scope: Explicit Exclusions
Cardiovascular Research
Studies on myocardial infarction, peripheral arterial disease, atherectomy, or cardiovascular interventions without direct bone marrow stem cell focus are not considered.
Non-Bone Marrow Stem Cells
Research on embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, or tissue-specific stem cells (neural, cardiac, adipose) without bone marrow origin or comparison.
General Oncology
Solid tumors (neuroblastoma, sarcomas) unless specifically addressing bone marrow metastasis, infiltration, or transplantation as treatment modality.
General Internal Medicine
Broad internal medicine topics, general surgery, radiology, or screening programs without specific bone marrow disease focus are outside our scope.
Nutritional Studies
General diet and nutrition research unless directly investigating nutritional impacts on hematopoiesis, bone marrow function, or transplant outcomes.
Article Types & Editorial Priorities
Editorial Standards & Requirements
Reporting Guidelines
All submissions must follow discipline-specific guidelines: CONSORT (trials), STROBE (observational), PRISMA (reviews), ARRIVE (animal studies), STARD (diagnostics).
Data Availability
Raw data, code, and materials must be deposited in public repositories (GEO, SRA, Zenodo) or made available upon reasonable request with clear access statements.
Ethics Compliance
IRB/IACUC approval required for human/animal studies. Clinical trials must be pre-registered. Informed consent documentation mandatory for patient data.
Preprint Policy
Preprints on bioRxiv, medRxiv, or arXiv are welcomed. Authors must disclose preprint DOI at submission. Preprinting does not affect editorial consideration.
Peer Review
Double-blind peer review by minimum two independent experts. Authors may suggest or exclude reviewers. Review reports published alongside accepted articles.
Open Access
All articles published under CC BY 4.0 license. Authors retain copyright. Immediate open access upon publication with no embargo periods.
Publication Metrics & Timeline
APC waivers available for authors from low-income countries (World Bank classification) and for exceptional circumstances. Waiver requests do not influence editorial decisions.
