UT Southwestern researchers capture first image of antibody attacking neuron receptors
picture: Autoimmune encephalitis occurs when antibodies or T cells go bad and attack the brain. In this study, UTSW researchers and colleagues from Berlin used cryo-electron microscopy to determine the atomic structure of autoantibodies bound to GABAA receptors. The receptor is an important protein in the brain and a target in autoimmune encephalitis. see again Credit: UT Southwestern Medical Center *Click here to watch the video Using the UT Southwestern Cryo-Electron Microscopy Facility, researchers have for the first time captured images of autoantibodies bound to nerve cell surface receptors, revealing the physical mechanisms behind neurological autoimmune disease. His findings, published in Cell, could lead to new ways to diagnose and treat autoimmune conditions, the study authors said. “We are entering a new era of understanding how autoimmune diseases work in the central nervous system,” says Colleen M. Noviello, Ph.D.,