Minerva

Potentially autoreactive T lymphocytes can be prevented from being “switched on” and the mechanism could be harnessed to try to prevent autoimmune diseases. A protein expressed on activated T cells called programmed death 1 (PD-1) is critical in maintaining self-tolerance in mice. Using a mouse model of type 1 diabetes, researchers found that PD-1 blockade slowed down the movement of autoreactive T cells, which increased their contact with pancreatic islet cell components, with the subsequent release of inflammatory mediators causing islet cell death and clinical diabetes (Nature Immunology 2009; doi:10.1038/ni.1790).

A study has found that two different machine marked tests, previously validated for selection of doctors into UK general practice training, could be used to shortlist candidates for core medical training. Researchers examined correlations between the results of a clinical problem solving test and a situational judgment test and the outcomes of interviews for core medical training. Both tests showed good reliability in core medical training samples, …