In just 10 years from its discovery in 2000, interleukin-23 has quickly moved from being recognized as a pro-inflammatory cytokine to a key player and potential therapeutic target in psoriasis.

The recent advances in the understanding of psoriasis pathogenesis have clarified the pivotal role of interleukin (IL)-23. It is a heterodimeric cytokine consisting of two subunits, the unique p19 and the p40, which are shared with IL-12. The basic role of IL-23 in psoriasis is the activation and maintenance of the T-helper 17 pathway. New research findings indicate that IL-23 is more important...

Three papers in the Journal this month examine the impact on service use of particular service developments and patient/illness characteristics. Williams et al (pp. 480–485) compared patterns of service use, including hospital admission rates, before and after the introduction of a triage admission system in one large innercity mental health organisation. Overall, little difference was found be...

Several papers in the BJPsych this month address issues arising from the overlap or comorbidity between mental and physical ill health. In a UK sample of individuals with affective disorders, Forty et al (pp. 465–472) found significantly increased rates of several medical illnesses among those with bipolar and unipolar disorder compared with controls. Among those with affective disorder, migrai...

Two papers in the Journal this month examine patterns of prescribing practice. With established clinical guidelines for the management of individuals with treatment-resistant schizophrenia in mind, Howes et al (pp. 481–485) reviewed prescribing practices prior to commencement of clozapine for a sample of patients managed within one mental health service. The authors found evidence of a signific...

We have previously reported that, depending on their activation status, mouse γδ T cells can either enhance or inhibit the activity of IL-17(+) autoreactive T cells in experimental autoimmune uveitis. In this study, we showed that γδ T cells in naive C57BL/6 (B6) mouse do not express the IL-23R, whereas in immunized mice, it is expressed on >50% of γδ T cells. In vitro studies showed that IL-23...

IL-23 and IL-12 are heterodimeric cytokines which share the p40 subunit, but which have unique second subunits, IL-23p19 and IL-12p35. Since p40 is required for the development of the Th1 type response necessary for resistance to Toxoplasma gondii, studies were performed to assess the role of IL-23 in resistance to this pathogen. Increased levels of IL-23 were detected in mice infected with T. ...