[New interdisciplinary teaching concept for the cross-sectional subject of allergology in human medicine studies].

Background: Although allergic diseases are among the most important health disorders, allergology is not anchored as an independent subject in the clinical part of medical studies in Germany.

Objective: As all universities and institutes face the same challenge, the aim of our project was to establish exemplary coordination and networking of education in allergology at one location in agreement with all involved departments and institutes. Particularly, Comprehensive Allergy Centers (CAC) offer an established infrastructure via which the revised allergology education program can be transferred to other universities.

Evaluation of the Therapeutic Potential of Anti-TLR4-Antibody MTS510 in Experimental Stroke and Significance of Different Routes of Application.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are central sensors for the inflammatory response in ischemia-reperfusion injury. We therefore investigated whether TLR4 inhibition could be used to treat stroke in a standard model of focal cerebral ischemia. Anti-TLR4/MD2-antibody (mAb clone MTS510) blocked TLR4-induced cell activation in vitro, as reported previously.

Knockout of silent information regulator 2 (SIRT2) preserves neurological function after experimental stroke in mice.

Sirtuin-2 (Sirt2) is a member of the NAD(+)-dependent protein deacetylase family. Various members of the sirtuin class have been found to be involved in processes related to longevity, regulation of inflammation, and neuroprotection. Induction of Sirt2 mRNA was found in the whole hemisphere after experimental stroke in a recent screening approach.

Activation of sphingosine kinase 2 is an endogenous protective mechanism in cerebral ischemia.

The two ubiquitously expressed sphingosine kinases (SphK) 1 and 2 are key regulators of the sphingolipid signaling pathway. Despite the formation of an identical messenger, i.e.

Treatment with the immunomodulator FTY720 does not promote spontaneous bacterial infections after experimental stroke in mice.

Background: FTY720, an immunomodulator derived from a fungal metabolite which reduces circulating lymphocyte counts by increasing the homing of lymphocytes to the lymph nodes has recently gained interest in stroke research. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective efficacy of FTY720 in cerebral ischemia in two different application paradigms and to gather first data on the effect of FTY720 on the rate of spontaneous bacterial infections in experimental stroke.

Methods: Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in C57BL/6 mice (strain J, groups of 10 animals) was performed with two different durations of ischemia (90 min and 3 h) and FTY720 was applied 2 h after vessel occlusion to study the impact of reperfusion on the protective potency of FTY720.