Two biomedical researchers from the University of Nevada School of Medicine have published a critical review on the field of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the 2007 Annual Reviews of Immunology.  The publication of the review, which was written in collaboration with a colleague at the University of Minnesota Cancer Center, is quite an accomplishment for the researchers as the Annual Reviews of Immunology has consistently ranked among the top three scientific journals in the world over the past decade.  

 Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is used to treat a variety of cancers, but is primarily used for the treatment of leukemias and lymphomas.  The use of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can prolong life expectancy in some cancer patients and is being examined for people with autoimmune disorders. 

 Researchers published in Annual Reviews of Immunology have the opportunity to provide critical examinations of scholarly advances in their field and provoke discussions that result in new research endeavors.  Critical reviews such as those printed in Annual Reviews of Immunology stand in contrast to those published in the majority of research publications which publish the results of an investigators' research.

 "Writing a concise review of the significant advances in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation which encompasses multiple topics in basic laboratory research to the application of state-of-the-art therapy for cancer was a daunting task," said lead author Lisbeth Welniak, Ph.D., assistant professor of microbiology and immunology.  "In addition to providing an unparalleled forum to present our opinions and outlook of the current state of clinical and translational research in the use of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants for the treatment of cancer, an invitation to publish in Annual Reviews of Immunology is a significant recognition for the quality of science being performed in the authors' laboratories and for the university itself."

William Murphy, Ph.D., who leads the University of Nevada School of Medicine's Laboratory of Cancer Immunology, served as senior author of the review.

Of the most recent ratings available, Annual Reviews of Immunology had the second highest publication impact factor of all biomedical research journals in the world with a rating of 47.4.  This rating is compared to other high profile biomedical journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine, which has an impact factor of 44.0, or Science, which has an impact factor of 30.9. The impact factor of the journals in which scholarly publications appear is an integral criteria used in programmatic evaluations of doctoral degree granting institutions and is used to assess research impact of such institutions.

As the state's only public medical school, the University of Nevada School of Medicine has been meeting statewide healthcare, educational, and clinical needs since 1969.  The School of Medicine encompasses 16 clinical medical education departments, including Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Internal Medicine, Surgery, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, as well as ten nationally-recognized departments within basic science including microbiology and biomedical engineering.  As the largest multi-specialty healthcare focus within the state, the School of Medicine employs more than 185 doctors who both teach and practice medicine throughout Nevada.  The school's statewide faculty physician practice group has a combined 25 different medical specialties with seven physician practice offices located in the Reno-Sparks area and five physician offices located in Las Vegas.

The University of Nevada School of Medicine utilizes a best-practice approach to medicine and is committed to addressing the health needs of Nevada now and in the future. For more information, please visit www.unr.edu/med.