[What's new in medicine in 2007?]

What's new in medicine in 2007? Find out what has changed in medicine in 2007 in the field of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The year has been productive with many fundamental advances. 2007 was the year of genetics in autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, vascularities, etc.), coming notably from work by the WTCCC. The comprehension of inflammatory diseases is based on increasingly detailed knowledge of epigenetic regulation and posttranscriptional mechanisms. The small RNA play a fundamental role and potentially offer many therapeutic applications.Sex and stress play a role in the appearance of inflammatory diseases. The mechanisms are progressively being better understood.More and more illnesses have autoimmune mechanisms, such as emphysema in the ex-smoker or pustulosis palmaris et plantaris. The revolution in biological therapies is continuing to grow. Medications that modulate innate immunity are being evaluated in inflammatory, allergic, and neoplastic diseases. Other, sometimes surprising options such as arsenic are now possible.