Aims & Scope
Core Research Domains
Inflammatory Skin Disease Mechanisms
- Molecular pathways in psoriasis pathogenesis (IL-23/IL-17 axis, TNF-alpha signaling)
- Atopic dermatitis immunopathology and barrier dysfunction mechanisms
- Autoimmune skin disease pathophysiology (pemphigus, lupus erythematosus)
- Contact dermatitis sensitization and immune response mechanisms
- Seborrheic dermatitis inflammatory cascade and microbiome interactions
- Rosacea neurovascular and immune dysregulation
Skin Cancer Molecular Biology
- Melanoma oncogenic signaling pathways (BRAF, NRAS, KIT mutations)
- Squamous cell carcinoma molecular progression and metastatic mechanisms
- Basal cell carcinoma hedgehog pathway dysregulation
- UV-induced DNA damage response and repair mechanisms
- Tumor microenvironment and immune evasion in skin malignancies
- Actinic keratosis molecular markers of malignant transformation
Cutaneous Barrier & Homeostasis
- Epidermal differentiation molecular programs and keratinocyte biology
- Skin barrier dysfunction mechanisms in disease states
- Filaggrin and structural protein deficiency pathophysiology
- Lipid metabolism and ceramide synthesis in barrier function
- Tight junction protein regulation in skin permeability
- Aging-associated molecular changes in skin structure and function
Infectious Disease Pathogenesis
- Host-pathogen interactions in bacterial skin infections (Staphylococcus, Streptococcus)
- Viral replication mechanisms in cutaneous infections (HSV, HPV)
- Fungal invasion pathways and host immune response (dermatophytes, Candida)
- Leprosy mycobacterial pathogenesis and nerve damage mechanisms
- Scabies mite-host interaction and immune modulation
- Skin microbiome dysbiosis in disease pathophysiology
Secondary Focus Areas
Pigmentation Disorders
Melanocyte biology, melanin synthesis pathways, vitiligo autoimmune mechanisms, melasma hormonal regulation, hyperpigmentation molecular triggers, and melanogenesis signaling cascades, with emphasis on translational and therapeutic applications.
Hair Follicle Biology
Hair cycle regulation mechanisms, alopecia pathophysiology (androgenetic, areata), follicular stem cell dynamics, hair shaft structural protein expression, and growth factor signaling in folliculogenesis, including emerging therapeutic targets.
Nail Pathophysiology
Nail matrix biology, onychomycosis fungal invasion mechanisms, nail dystrophy molecular basis, keratin expression in nail disorders, and psoriatic nail disease pathogenesis, with relevance to clinical diagnosis and treatment.
Wound Healing Mechanisms
Tissue repair molecular cascades, growth factor signaling in regeneration, chronic wound pathophysiology, keloid and hypertrophic scar fibroblast dysregulation, and matrix metalloproteinase regulation, with implications for therapeutic intervention.
Drug-Induced Skin Reactions
Molecular mechanisms of drug hypersensitivity, Stevens-Johnson syndrome pathogenesis, toxic epidermal necrolysis immune activation, drug-specific T-cell responses, and pharmacogenomic susceptibility markers, with clinical and therapeutic relevance.
Vascular Skin Disorders
Angiogenesis regulation in skin, vascular malformation molecular basis, varicose vein endothelial dysfunction, capillary permeability mechanisms, and lymphatic system pathophysiology, with translational and clinical implications.
Emerging Research Areas
Article Types & Editorial Priorities
Expedited Review
- Original Research Articles
- Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
- Novel Methodology Papers
- Biomarker Validation Studies
Regular Review
- Short Communications
- Data Notes
- Perspectives & Commentaries
- Technical Reports
Rarely Considered
- Opinion Pieces (by invitation)
- Hypothesis Articles
- Historical Perspectives
- Educational Reviews
Editorial Standards & Requirements
Reporting Guidelines
- ARRIVE guidelines for animal studies
- MIQE standards for qPCR experiments
- REMARK criteria for biomarker studies
- PRISMA checklist for systematic reviews
- STROBE statement for observational studies with molecular endpoints
Data Transparency
- Raw data deposition in public repositories (GEO, ArrayExpress, ProteomeXchange)
- Reagent and antibody validation documentation
- Statistical analysis code availability
- Biological replicate specifications
- Negative control and validation experiment inclusion
Ethics & Compliance
- IRB/Ethics committee approval for human samples
- IACUC approval for animal experiments
- Informed consent documentation
- Conflict of interest disclosure
- Funding source transparency
Preprint & Prior Publication
- Preprint deposition encouraged (bioRxiv, medRxiv)
- Conference abstracts permitted
- Thesis chapters acceptable with disclosure
- No duplicate publication of same data
- Overlapping datasets require justification
Editorial Decision Metrics
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