We would like to thank our authors and referees for their contributions in the year 2007, and also our readers for their continuing interest in our publications. Our impact factor has risen to 23.054, illustrating the journal's success within the scientific community. We are looking forward to 2008 with excitement and, once again, we have numerous gems in store for our readers.

At this time of year, attention often turns to renewed resolutions about our health and fitness — as the quote says: “Mens sana in corpore sano”. In this issue, three articles discuss the intertwining functions of the body and brain.

A provocative Review by Dantzer et al. on page 46 discusses the interplay between the peripheral immune system and the CNS. The authors show that peripheral immune system activation triggers the release of pro-inflamatory cytokines in the brain and argue that prolonged immune signalling in the brain can cause depression.

Brunton and Russell (page 11) describe the peripheral signals that drive adaptations in the brain during pregnancy and birth. They examine how rapid post-partum changes in the brain might contribute to the development of postnatal mood disorders.

Finally, Tomlinson and Gardiner (page 36) review how raised glucose levels lead to neuronal damage and cell death and explain the neurological consequences of altered glucose homeostasis for patients with diabetes.

The advances described in these articles help us fit together the pieces of the molecular puzzle of our body. In turn, we learn how molecular imbalances in our body affect our brain.