This month in Beyond Our Pages

Article Outline

 

Two reports deal with the beneficial effects of different pharmacotherapeutic agents in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. • The effects of the blockade of TNF activity in asthma have been described. • A study has further defined the characteristics of memory T_H2 lymphocytes. • Another study has explored the function of IL-31, a cytokine that is expressed by T_H2 lymphocytes; its function has been unclear. • The role of IL-15 in breaking the homeostasis in the intestinal tract has been explored as a possible underlying mechanism in celiac disease. • Investigators have uncovered evidence that the etiology of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is related to abnormal chromosomal telomere formation.