• Editorial
• Open Access

• Published: 18 June 2013

In the course of the millennia, fire, a natural as well as a man-made entity, has been promoting human cultural and technological development. However, just like other powerful forces, fire has two sides: one that is positive or helpful and another that is negative or harmful. Obviously, as human beings survive and prosper better with fire than without it, it follows that possible burn injuries will stay with human beings.

Burns & Trauma is an open access journal that aims to cover the latest and best achievements in all aspects of burn and trauma research. This new journal will provide a unique platform for the rapid publication of guidelines, original articles, review articles, case reports, letters, commentaries, and thematic issues on scientific research related to burn and trauma research. Themes include but are not limited to emergency medicine, wound healing, tissue engineering, intensive care, nutrition, bioengineering, shock, rehabilitation, immunology, infection, psychology, stem cells, organ damage, injury epidemiology, regeneration, and so on.

I wish to acknowledge the people who have enthusiastically contributed to the launch of Burns & Trauma: Antonino Gullo, Zhiyong Sheng, Zhengguo Wang, Xiaobing Fu, David Mackie, Basil A. Pruitt, Ronald G. Tompkins, Yongmin Yu, Ubaldo Armato, Xianchang Li, Xuetao Pei and the whole editorial team. Their suggestions, encouragement, and hard work will promote the growth of this forthcoming journal absolutely.

I sincerely hope that Burns & Trauma will act as a successful vehicle for sharing our knowledge and thereby significantly contributing to the prevention and the management of burn injuries.