Is psoriasis an immune disorder that affects the skin, or a skin condition with immunological implications? A new mouse model created by European scientists and engineered to lack the equivalent mouse gene to the human gene JunB (which has decreased expression in human psoriatic lesions) developed a skin disease almost identical to psoriasis in humans. The condition developed independently of immune cells, supporting the hypothesis that psoriasis is an “outside-in”disorder (Nature 2005;437: 369-75).

One year on, a third of 94 survivors of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) still have impaired lung function. The main determinants of the cause of prolonged chest problems have not been identified, but all these survivors had poorer general health than the healthy population (Chest 2005;128: 1393-400).

The Royal Medical Benevolent Fund's Christmas appeal needs your help to support medics and their families who have unexpectedly fallen on hard times. To be considered for help a person must be a doctor registered with the General Medical Council or bona fide dependant, resident in the UK, unable to work, and with little in the way of income or savings. Examples of people the fund have helped can be found on http://www.rmbf.org/ and include young doctors on short term contracts who have been in car crashes or become …