Many hormones, growth factors, and cytokines regulate proliferation of their target cells. Perhaps the most universal signaling cascades required for proliferative responses are those initiated by transient rises in intracellular calcium (Ca(2+)). The major intracellular receptor for Ca(2+) is calmodulin (CaM). CaM is a small protein that contains four EF-hand Ca(2+) binding sites and is highly conserved among eukaryotes. In all organisms in which the CaM gene has been deleted, it is essential. Although Ca(2+)/CaM is required for proliferation in both unicellular and multicellular eukaryotes, the essential targets of Ca(2+)/CaM-dependent pathways required for cell proliferation remain elusive. Potential Ca(2+)/CaM-dependent targets include the serine/threonine phosphatase calcineurin and the family of multifunctional Ca(2+)/CaM-dependent protein kinases. Whereas these enzymes are essential in Aspergillus nidulans, they are not required under normal growth conditions in yeast. However, in mammalian cells, studies demonstrate that both types of enzymes contribute to the regulation of cell cycle progression. Unfortunately, the mechanism by which Ca(2+)/CaM and its downstream targets, particularly calcineurin and the Ca(2+)/CaM-dependent protein kinases, regulate key cell cycle-regulatory proteins, remains enigmatic. By understanding how Ca(2+)/CaM regulates cell cycle progression in normal mammalian cells, we may gain insight into how hormones control cell division and how cancer cells subvert the need for Ca(2+) and its downstream targets to proliferate.

Psoriasis vulgaris is a common and often chronic inflammatory skin disease. The incidence of psoriasis in Western industrialized countries ranges from 1 to 2%. Patients afflicted with severe psoriasis vulgaris may experience a significant reduction in quality of life. Despite the large variety of treatment options available, patient surveys have revealed lack of satisfaction with the efficacy of available treatments and a high rate of non-compliance. To optimize the treatment of psoriasis in Germany, the Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG) and the Berufsverband Deutscher Dermatologen (BVDD) initiated a project to develop evidence-based guidelines for the management of psoriasis. These resulting Guidelines focus on induction therapy in cases of mild, moderate, and severe plaquetype psoriasis in adults. The Guidelines include evidence-based evaluation of the efficacy of all currently available therapeutic options in Germany. In addition, they offer detailed information on how best to administer the various treatments and give information on contraindications, adverse drug reactions, and drug interactions as well as estimates of practicability and cost. The Guidelines were developed following the recommendations of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft wissenschaftlicher medizinischer Fachgesellschaften (AWMF). The therapeutic recommendations were developed by an expert group and finalized during interdisciplinary consensus conferences.

Psoriasis vulgaris is a common and chronic inflammatory skin disease which has the potential to significantly reduce the quality of life in severely affected patients. The incidence of psoriasis in Western industrialized countries ranges from 1.5 to 2%. Despite the large variety of treatment options available, patient surveys have revealed insufficient satisfaction with the efficacy of available treatments and a high rate of medication noncompliance. To optimize the treatment of psoriasis in Germany, the Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft and the Berufsverband Deutscher Dermatologen (BVDD) have initiated a project to develop evidence-based guidelines for the management of psoriasis. The guidelines focus on induction therapy in cases of mild, moderate, and severe plaque-type psoriasis in adults. The short version of the guidelines reported here consist of a series of therapeutic recommendations that are based on a systematic literature search and subsequent discussion with experts in the field; they have been approved by a team of dermatology experts. In addition to the therapeutic recommendations provided in this short version, the full version of the guidelines includes information on contraindications, adverse events, drug interactions, practicality, and costs as well as detailed information on how best to apply the treatments described (for full version, please see Nast et al., JDDG, Suppl 2:S1-S126, 2006; or http://www.psoriasis-leitlinie.de).

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