Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
The BCL-6 oncogene can downregulate expression of the p53 tumor suppressor gene in B cell lymphoma. This pathway probably exists to protect normal germinal-center B cells from apoptosis induced by DNA mutations.
New mouse models of ovarian cancer and endometriosis have been created, defining the genetic relationship between these two gynecologic diseases (pages 63–70).
Apoptosis results in the oxidation of membrane lipids on the dying cell. Newly identified oxidized lipids play a dual role: they contribute to the recognition and phagocytosis of dying cells, but may also spur antibody production and inflammation.
Psoriasis develops through interactions between the skin and immune system. The cell-signaling molecule Stat3 now emerges as a bridge between the two, initiating perturbations in the epidermis and generating misguided T-cell responses (pages 43–49).
Mutations in the clock gene Per2 influence alcohol consumption, as revealed by studies in mice and humans. In mice, this effect seems to be mediated by an excess of glutamate in the brain (pages 35–42).