Understanding immune attacks on the brain in paraneoplastic and autoimmune encephalitis
Molecular understanding of self immunity in the brain
This work looks for the exact brain proteins and immune signals that cause harmful immune attacks in people with paraneoplastic neurological disorders and autoimmune encephalitis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11181284 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have a paraneoplastic neurological disorder, researchers will use a new programmable phage display tool to find which brain proteins your antibodies recognize. They will pinpoint the small protein pieces (epitopes) that trigger antibody responses and use advanced bioinformatics to map those targets. The team will create mouse models that carry the KLHL11 antibody response and knockout mice to see whether a surprising MHC-I–linked immune pathway lets T cells attack the brain. They will examine brain tissue with staining and single-cell sequencing to trace which immune cells are responsible and how they act.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with paraneoplastic neurological disorders or autoimmune encephalitis, especially those with known or suspected brain autoantibodies such as KLHL11, would be most relevant.
Not a fit: Patients whose neurological problems are not caused by autoantibodies or who have unrelated neurological conditions are unlikely to benefit directly from this specific work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could enable better antibody tests and point to new treatments that block the T-cell pathway causing brain inflammation.
How similar studies have performed: Antigen-mapping approaches like programmable phage display have already identified new PND targets such as KLHL11, but the proposed non-canonical MHC-I mechanism is a newer, less-tested idea.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mandel-Brehm, Caleigh — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Mandel-Brehm, Caleigh
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.