Researchers pioneer a novel treatment for the most common autoimmune encephalitis

Reviewed by Danielle Ellis, B.Sc.Nov 3 2023 By reprogramming white blood cells to target and eliminate disease-causing cells, the approach offers a new level of precision and efficiency. The technique has proven successful in laboratory studies, clinical trials in humans are already being planned.

New treatment method Around 200 to 300 people are estimated to develop NMDA receptor encephalitis in Germany every year - with severe symptoms: They experience memory impairment, epileptic seizures, impaired consciousness, and psychosis. Severe cases may even require treatment in an intensive care unit. The new procedure would be an enormous improvement over current therapy.

Reprogrammed cells For their new, targeted therapy, the researchers had to develop an elaborate procedure: "We use human T cells, which we can obtain from patients' blood, and modify them by adding a coupling molecule," explains Dr. Momsen Reincke, one of the study's first authors, who also researches at DZNE and Charité. This genetic reprogramming turns the T cells - a special type of white blood cells - into what is known as CAAR T cells.

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