Nature Communications · 11 September 2026 · From issue 35
Structural basis of IgLON5 autoantibody recognition in autoimmune encephalitis
An antibody from a patient with a rare brain disease grabs a nerve cell protein without breaking its normal glue function.
Angelique Roux, Rachel Schelling et al.
A rare brain disease causes the body to make attack antibodies against a protein on nerve cells. Scientists isolated one such antibody from a patient and mapped its exact shape using a powerful imaging method. The antibody grabs the protein without breaking the normal glue that holds nerve cells together. It still lets the protein clump up in a way that might cause harm.
Shows the antibody's shape and grip, not how it causes brain damage in patients.
Lab structure study only, one patient's antibody, no human damage tests yet.
Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 12 September 2026. Retraction record: none. DOI resolves at doi.org. Metadata record found (Nature Communications). Read the source
This screen checks process signals. It does not tell you the findings are true.