Skin hepcidin initiates psoriasiform skin inflammation via Fe-driven hyperproliferation and neutrophil recruitment

Psoriasis is a multifactorial, chronic inflammatory skin disease with unresolved questions on its primary events. Iron overload has been described in the epidermis of psoriasis patients, but its relevance remains unknown. We found that the key iron regulatory hormone hepcidin was highly expressed in the epidermis of psoriasis patients, especially the pustular variants resistant to treatments. In a murine model of acute skin inflammation, keratinocyte-derived hepcidin was required for iron retention in keratinocytes, leading to hyperproliferation of the epidermal layer and neutrophil recruitment, two main features of psoriatic skin lesions. Keratinocytes overexpressing hepcidin were sufficient to elicit these psoriasiform features in a transgenic mouse model. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis of these keratinocytes revealed canonical pathways found in human psoriasis, pointing to a causal role for hepcidin in the pathogenesis of the disease. Altogether, our data suggest that hepcidin could be an actionable target for skin psoriasis treatment, in addition to current therapeutics, or targeted as maintenance therapy during remission to prevent recurrence.</p

A lanthanide-rich kilonova in the aftermath of a long gamma-ray burst

Observationally, kilonovae are astrophysical transients powered by the radioactive decay of nuclei heavier than iron, thought to be synthesized in the merger of two compact objects 1–4. Over the first few days, the kilonova evolution is dominated by a large number of radioactive isotopes contributing to the heating rate 2,5. On timescales of weeks to months, its behaviour is predicted to differ depending on the ejecta composition and the merger remnant 6–8. Previous work has shown that the kilonova associated with gamma-ray burst 230307A is similar to kilonova AT2017gfo (ref. 9), and mid-infrared spectra revealed an emission line at 2.15 micrometres that was attributed to tellurium. Here we report a multi-wavelength analysis, including publicly available James Webb Space Telescope data 9 and our own Hubble Space Telescope data, for the same gamma-ray burst. We model its evolution up to two months after the burst and show that, at these late times, the recession of the photospheric radius and the rapidly decaying bolometric luminosity (L bol ∝ t −2.7±0.4, where t is time) support the recombination of lanthanide-rich ejecta as they cool.</p

Pursuing family justice before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic:the changing role of Legal Companions and the new invisibility of unmet legal need

This article provides three snapshots of family justice – pre-pandemic, during nationallockdown, and as England settled into a ‘new normal’ of hybrid justice processes. It does so bydrawing upon focus group discussions with Legal Companions working in the family court,who support litigants in person in the manner of McKenzie Friends. This research points to theinteracting influences of policy reform and pandemic management, such that the emergencymeasures introduced by the latter entrenched the longer term changes sought by the former. Thestudy seeks to capture the compound effects of these shifts, including a deepening of socialinequality, a sharp reduction in access to justice, and the decreased visibility of those who are ingreatest need of support. As part of this, we explore the diffuse benefits of the emotionalsupport provided by Legal Companions to those representing themselves in private family lawcases and identify key changes to this role in the new world of online and hybrid justice