Autoimmunity and Neurodegeneration

Description

The group focusses on the role of autoantibodies targeting the nervous system in clinical conditions ranging from encephalitis to neurodegeneration. An increasing number of neuropsychiatric diseases are caused by pathogenic anti-neuronal autoantibodies, such as those targeting NMDA receptors, GABA receptors, LGI1, Caspr2, IgLON5, metabotropic glutamate receptors, and entirely novel autoantigens. Associated clinical conditions range from acute encephalitis to slowly progressive dementia. The group's research focuses on the detailed analysis of mechanisms of autoantibody-mediated impairment of neuronal function, using recombinant monoclonal autoantibodies derived from patients’ cerebrospinal fluid, but also on the development of novel diagnostics and innovative antibody-selective immunotherapies. (Description adapted from working group website: see link above)