It is assumed that paraneoplastic neurological symptoms arise from misdirected immune reactions that are initially targeted towards tumors. The molecular events of this misdirected attack are still enigmatic. We recently cloned and expressed an antibody from an encephalitis patient with autoantibodies against the GABA-A-receptor on neurons. The antibody recognizes not only the receptor but also a known tumor antigen. Here we study the interaction of the antibody with the receptor by electrophysiology in order to explain the epileptic seizures of the patient, investigate, whether or not antibodies with similar properties are detectable in other patients, and study the molecular structures on the surfaces of the receptor and the tumor antigen that are recognized by the antibody.

Further information is available at:

http://www.klinikum.uni-muenchen.de/Institut-fuer-Klinische-Neuroimmunologie/en/forschung/ag_dornmair/index.html

https://www.ukm.de/index.php?id=translationale_neurologie