Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a common neurological disorder of putative autoimmune origin. Clinical studies delineate abnormal expression of specific cytokines over the course of disease. Preclinical ...studies using animal models of MS have yielded promising results in manipulating the activity of certain cytokines to improve the clinical outcome. However, the translation of these findings into the clinic is often disappointing. The reason for this might be the complex nature of cytokine networks and the pathogenesis of neuroinflammation, as well as an oversimplified interpretation of preclinical observations. This review presents an overview on cytokines that potentially contribute to the development of MS and provides examples of success and failure in translating basic science into clinical benefit for people with MS.
This interdisciplinary volume on The Challenge of Radicalization and Extremism: Integrating Research on Education and Citizenship in the Context of Migration addresses the need for educational ...researchers to place their work in a broader social and political context by connecting it to the current and highly relevant issue of extremism and radicalization. It is just as important for researchers of extremism and radicalization to strengthen their conceptual links with educational fields, especially with education for democratic citizenship, as for researchers in education to get more familiar with issues of migration. This book meets a current shortage of research that addresses these issues across subjects and disciplines to inform both scientific and professional stakeholders in the educational and social sectors. The volume is divided into three parts. The first part, Foundations, provides fundamental research on radicalization and the rejection of democratic values. In the second part, Analysis of Preconditions within the Educational Context, key risk and protective factors against radicalization for young people are explored. Finally, the third part, Approaches for Prevention and Intervention, offers concrete suggestions for prevention and intervention methods within formal and informal educational contexts. The contributions show how new avenues for prevention can be explored through integrating citizenship education’s twofold function to assimilate and to empower.
The interaction of coagulation factors has been shown to go beyond their traditional roles in hemostasis and to affect the development of inflammatory diseases. Key molecular players, such as ...fibrinogen, thrombin, or factor XII have been mechanistically and epidemiologically linked to inflammatory disorders like multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and colitis.
To systematically review the evidence for a role of coagulation factors, especially factor XII, fibrinogen, and thrombin in inflammatory disorders like MS, RA, and bowel disorders.
A systematic literature search was done in the PubMed database to identify studies about coagulation factors in inflammatory diseases. Original articles and reviews investigating the role of the kallikrein-kinin and the coagulation system in mouse and humans were included.
We identified 43 animal studies dealing with inflammatory disorders and factors of the kallikrein-kinin or the coagulation system. Different immunological influences are described and novel molecular mechanisms linking coagulation and inflammation are reported.
A number of studies have highlighted coagulation factors to tip the balance between hemostasis and thrombosis and between protection from infection and extensive inflammation. To optimize the treatment of chronic inflammatory disorders by these factors, further studies are necessary.
TRPM2, a highly Ca(2+)-permeable member of the transient receptor potential melastatin-related (TRPM) family of cation channels, is expressed in cells of the immune system. We demonstrate firstly ...that TRPM2 cation channels on T cells critically influence T cell proliferation and proinflammatory cytokine secretion following polyclonal T cell receptor stimulation. Consistently, trpm2-deficient mice exhibited an attenuated clincal phenotype of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) with reduced inflammatory and demyelinating spinal cord lesions. Importantly, trmp2-deficient T cells were as susceptible as wildtype T cells to oxidative stress-induced cell death as it occurs in inflammatory CNS lesions. This supports the notion that the attenuated EAE phenotype is mainly due to reduced T cell effector functions but unaffected by potential modulation of T cell survival at the site of inflammation. Our findings suggest TRPM2 cation channels as a potential target for treating autoimmune CNS inflammation.
The development of intercultural competence, especially in foreign language instruction, is considered a key goal of teaching in German schools. The present article sheds light on the teaching of ...intercultural topics in the context of English as a foreign language (EFL). It presents the results of an analysis of data from a larger study (DESI study – Assessment of Student Achievements in German and English as a Foreign Language) bringing the intercultural experience of teachers and observable aspects of instruction into focus. Videotapes of EFL-classroom instruction of 9th and 10th grade students are analyzed in order to assess characteristic of the implementation of intercultural topics. The study reveals the impact of teachers’ intercultural experience on the quality of their intercultural instruction. Furthermore, the results indicate that precise external directives for particular lessons can help teachers put intercultural topics into practice.
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