Scientists identify target to treat devastating brain disease

OHSU researchers use near-atomic imaging to find promising target for ‘Brain on Fire’ condition

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Using near-atomic imaging, OHSU researchers mapped where disease-associated autoantibodies bind to the extracellular domain of the NMDA receptor. The highlighted region — colored yellow through red, based on how frequently it is targeted — reveals small areas of the receptor recognized by autoantibodies in both mice and people with anti-NMDAR encephalitis, making it a promising target for future treatments. (OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks)
Using near-atomic imaging, OHSU researchers mapped where disease-associated autoantibodies bind to the extracellular domain of the NMDA receptor. The highlighted region — colored yellow through red, based on how frequently it is targeted — reveals small areas of the receptor recognized by autoantibodies in both mice and people with anti-NMDAR encephalitis, making it a promising target for future treatments. (OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks)

Scientists have identified a promising target for treatment of a devastating autoimmune disease affecting the brain.

The discovery could lead to the development of new therapies for a disease triggered by an attack on one of the key neurotransmitter receptors in the brain, the NMDA receptor. It also raises the potential for a blood test to detect a signal of the condition and enable earlier treatment with existing therapies.

The study from Oregon Health & Science University published today in the journal Science Advances.

The condition may be best known by the bestselling autobiography and 2016 motion picture, “Brain on Fire.” The condition is considered a rare disorder affecting about one in 1 million people annually, predominantly people in their 20s and 30s.

The condition is triggered by an autoimmune attack on the brain’s NMDA receptor, mediated in part by anti-NMDA receptor autoantibodies, and is characterized by intellectual changes, severe memory loss, seizures and even death.

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