AbstractInflammatory joint diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) belong to the most
prevalent autoimmune disorders. RA is characterized by a massive infiltration of
immune cells into synovial tissue, cartilage destruction and bone erosion. The
perpetuating inflammatory and destructive milieu is associated with severe pain
and culminates in complete disability of synovial joints. The events initiating
RA are still not fully understood and the treatments are mainly confined to
strategies that modify and inhibit the body’s immune system. Macrophages
and osteoclasts (OC) are myeloid cells of the innate immune system and are
considered to play a central role in the inflammatory and destructive events of
arthritis by production of inflammatory cytokines and mediating pathological
bone resorption. In recent years, the use of novel fate mapping strategies
identifying the origin and cellular development (ontogeny) of OC and macrophages
in conjunction with new genetically modified mouse models, single cell analysis
and advanced imaging techniques substantially changed our understanding on the
ontogenetic and functional heterogeneity of these cells.
Engineering Manufacturing Education: Solar Cell Analysis and Diagnostics Using Scanning and Imaging Techniques
