Modern Medicine, a Young Society, and a New Journal
Authors: Inder M. Verma, Savio L.C. Woo
Journal: Molecular Therapy (2000)

Gene therapy is a form of molecular medicine with the potential to conquer a vast range of human diseases. The concept is simple: Introduce the gene and its product should alleviate the defect, ameliorate the disease, or slow down the progress of the disease. The success of this elegant concept depends on the efficient delivery of genes to the desired target tissue. To that end, delivery systems ranging from direct DNA injection to sophisticated viral vectors have been developed. The field of gene therapy is barely two decades old, and already nearly 300 clinical trials involving over 5000 patients are under way worldwide. This rapid increase of gene therapy practitioners led to the formation of the American Society of Gene Therapy (ASGT), which has attracted over 2000 members since its inception in 1997. ASGT members enthusiastically supported the idea of establishing a new journal—Molecular Therapy—under the Society's auspices to publish scientifically meritorious papers in the field of molecular medicine. Molecular Therapy will provide rapid publication of manuscripts, commentaries, news, opinions, and technical comments. However, the success of Molecular Therapy will depend on the quality of the scientific papers it publishes. Although established by ASGT, the journal will strive to be international, and we therefore encourage scientists from all over the world to submit manuscripts. Our outstanding Editorial Board reflects our international commitment. As we enter the next millennium, I am confident that Molecular Therapy will become a preeminent journal in the exciting field of gene therapy. As its first Editor-in-Chief, I ask you to support this new journal. The fact that you are reading this message is testament to the enormous success of the American Society of Gene Therapy (ASGT) since its birth merely 3 years ago. Under the stewardship of our first president, George Stamatoyannopoulos, our young society was founded on the principle of advancing the science of gene therapy through rigorous basic science and clinical translational research, with the goal of developing this new biomedical discipline into a novel, effective, and safe treatment modality for a variety of diseases. We are also an inclusive society, and all professionals who are interested in this discipline are welcome to join the membership. The society started with about 1000 members, and over 1600 individuals attended the first annual meeting in Seattle in 1998. Our society has undergone spectacular growth during the past year and our current total membership is 2000 strong. The second annual meeting in Washington, DC, last May was attended by over 2200 registrants and we certainly look forward to seeing all the ASGT members at the third annual meeting in Denver from May 31 to June 4, 2000. Because our society's long-term objective is “promoting health through molecular therapies,” the launching of Molecular Therapy is a critically important milestone in our society's development, second only to the founding of the society itself. On behalf of the entire ASGT membership, the Board of Directors, and myself, I wish Inder Verma, the outstanding Editor-in-Chief, Fintan Steele, and the Editorial Board every success in developing Molecular Therapy into the most respected and prestigious journal in the field of molecular medicine.