Pathogenesis of Immune-Mediated Neuronal Disorders
This programme is focused on the discovery of autoimmune neurologic diseases, mainly those mediated by antibodies against neuronal cell surface proteins or synaptic receptors. These studies include characterisation of syndromes and diseases; identification of novel antibodies and target autoantigens; and determination of the mechanisms of disease at the behavioural, synaptic, and neuronal circuitry levels. For this, a wide variety of molecular and electrophysiological techniques in vitro and in vivo are used. The resulting findings have led to guidelines on the differential diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune encephalitis, and new concepts on how autoimmunity can affect synaptic function, memory and behaviour.
Technologies & Methods
- Immunohisto- and cytochemistry
- Electrophysiology
- Biology
- Animal Models
- Advanced Optical Imaging
- Clinical Neuroimaging
- Neuropsychological Testing
- Computational Neuroimmunology
- In-silico Modeling
Research Team
Thais Armangue
Postdoctoral Researcher
Eugenia Maria Martinez
Postdoctoral Researcher
Jesus Planaguma
Postdoctoral Researcher
Estibaliz Maudes
Early Stage Researcher
Gemma Olive
Early Stage Researcher
Ester Aguilar
Technician
Mercedes Alba
Technician
Eva Maria Caballero
Technician
Maria Rodes
Project Manager
Myrna Rosenfeld
Others
Lidia Sabater
Others
Victor Patricio
Early Stage Researcher
Laura Marmolejo
Early Stage Researcher
Mar Guasp
Postdoctoral Researcher
Marianna Spatola
ICREA Researcher
AnaBeatriz Araujo Gama Serafim
Early StageResearcher
Active Projects
Antibody-mediated NMDA receptor encephalitis: symptoms, biomarkers, and mechanisms of the prolonged recovery stage
Fundació Caixa de Pensions 'La Caixa'. HR22-00221. Josep Dalmau.
Synaptic Autoimmunity in Neurology, Psychiatry and Cognitive Neuroscience
Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS). MRP-2. Josep Dalmau.
Investigaciones en la encefalitis anti-NMDAR: nuevo test diagnóstico, papel de la inflamación en un modelo animal, y modulación alostérica de NMDAR como estrategia terapéutica
Instituto de Salud Carlos III. PI20/00197. Josep Dalmau.
Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras(CIBERER)
Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. CB15/00010. Josep Dalmau.
Eficàcia i efectes adversos neurològics de la vacunació contra la COVID-19 en pacients immunodeprimits per l’esclerosi múltiple.
Fundació La Marató de TV3. 202132-30. Albert Saiz.
Impacto social y psicológico a largo plazo de la encefalitis anti receptores NMDA
Instituto de Salud Carlos III. AC21_2/00053. Josep Dalmau.
Patogènesi de les malalties neuronals autoimmunes
Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica. DN040789. Josep Dalmau.
Selected publications
Alba-Arbalat, S., Solana, E., Lopez-Soley, E., Camos-Carreras, A., Martinez-Heras, E., Vivó, F., Pulido-Valdeolivas, I., Andorra, M., Sepulveda, M., Cabrera, J. M., Fonseca, E., Calvi, A., Alcubierre, R., Dotti-Boada, M., Saiz, A., Martinez-Lapiscina, E. H., Villoslada, P., Blanco, Y., Sanchez-Dalmau, B., & Llufriu, S. (2023). Predictive value of retinal atrophy for cognitive decline across disease duration in multiple sclerosis. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, jnnp-2023-332332. https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2023-332332
Armangué, T., Olivé-Cirera, G., Martínez-Hernandez, E., Rodes, M., Peris-Sempere, V., Guasp, M., Ruiz, R., Palou, E., González, A., Marcos, M. Á., Erro, M. E., Bataller, L., Corral-Corral, Í., Planagumà, J., Caballero, E., Vlagea, A., Chen, J., Bastard, P., Materna, M., … Dalmau, J. (2023). Neurologic complications in herpes simplex encephalitis: clinical, immunological and genetic studies. Brain, 146(10), 4306–4319. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awad238
Banwell, B., Bennett, J. L., Marignier, R., Kim, H. J., Brilot, F., Flanagan, E. P., Ramanathan, S., Waters, P., Tenembaum, S., Graves, J. S., Chitnis, T., Brandt, A. U., Hemingway, C., Neuteboom, R., Pandit, L., Reindl, M., Saiz, A., Sato, D. K., Rostasy, K., … Palace, J. (2023). Diagnosis of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease: International MOGAD Panel proposed criteria. The Lancet Neurology, 22(3), 268–282. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(22)00431-8
Blanco, Y., Escudero, D., Lleixà, C., Llufriu, S., Egri, N., García, R. R., Alba, M., Aguilar, E., Artola, M., Aldea Novo, M., Alvarez, S., Caballero, E., Cabrera-Maqueda, J. M., Fonseca, E., Guasp, M., Hernando, A., Martinez-Hernandez, E., Olivé-Cirera, G., Lopez-Contreras, J., … Saiz, A. (2023). mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination Does Not Exacerbate Symptoms or Trigger Neural Antibody Responses in Multiple Sclerosis. Neurology Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation, 10(6). https://doi.org/10.1212/NXI.0000000000200163
Ceanga, M., Rahmati, V., Haselmann, H., Schmidl, L., Hunter, D., Brauer, A.-K., Liebscher, S., Kreye, J., Prüss, H., Groc, L., Hallermann, S., Dalmau, J., Ori, A., Heckmann, M., & Geis, C. (2023). Human NMDAR autoantibodies disrupt excitatory-inhibitory balance, leading to hippocampal network hypersynchrony. Cell Reports, 42(10), 113166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113166
Chen, L.-W., Guasp, M., Olivé-Cirera, G., Martínez-Hernandez, E., Ruiz García, R., Naranjo, L., Saiz, A., Armangue, T., & Dalmau, J. (2024). Antibody Investigations in 2,750 Children With Suspected Autoimmune Encephalitis. Neurology Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1212/NXI.0000000000200182
Dalmau, J., & Graus, F. (2023). Diagnostic criteria for autoimmune encephalitis: utility and pitfalls for antibody-negative disease. The Lancet Neurology, 22(6), 529–540. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(23)00083-2
Fonseca, E., Cabrera-Maqueda, J. M., Ruiz-García, R., Naranjo, L., Diaz-Pedroche, C., Velasco, R., Macias-Gómez, A., Milisenda, J. C., Muñoz-Farjas, E., Pascual-Goñi, E., Gállego Perez-Larraya, J., Saiz, A., Dalmau, J., Blanco, Y., Graus, F., Martinez-Hernandez, E., Aldecoa, I., Barcelo, M. I., Canneti, B., … Tagliani, P. (2023). Neurological adverse events related to immune-checkpoint inhibitors in Spain: a retrospective cohort study. The Lancet Neurology, 22(12), 1150–1159. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(23)00335-6
Gövert, F., Abrante, L., Becktepe, J., Balint, B., Ganos, C., Hofstadt-van Oy, U., Krogias, C., Varley, J., Irani, S. R., Paneva, S., Titulaer, M. J., de Vries, J. M., Boon, A. J. W., Schreurs, M. W. J., Joubert, B., Honnorat, J., Vogrig, A., Ariño, H., Sabater, L., … Leypoldt, F. (2023). Distinct movement disorders in contactin-associated-protein-like-2 antibody-associated autoimmune encephalitis. Brain, 146(2), 657–667. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awac276
Guasp, M., Rosa-Justicia, M., Muñoz-Lopetegi, A., Martinez-Hernandez, E., Armangue, T., Sugranyes, G., Stein, H., Prades, L., Ariño, H., Planagumà, J., De La Serna, E., Escudero, D., Llufriu, S., Sánchez-Valle, R., Santamaria, J., Compte, A., Castro-Fornieles, J., & Dalmau, J. (2023). Clinical characterisation of patients in the post-acute stage of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis: a prospective cohort study and comparison with patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (S22.006). Neurology, 100(17_supplement_2). https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000202506
Kalincik, T., Sharmin, S., Roos, I., Freedman, M. S., Atkins, H., Burman, J., Massey, J., Sutton, I., Withers, B., Macdonell, R., Grigg, A., Torkildsen, Ø., Bo, L., Lehmann, A. K., Havrdova, E. K., Krasulova, E., Trněný, M., Kozak, T., van der Walt, A., … Kermode, A. (2023). Comparative Effectiveness of Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant vs Fingolimod, Natalizumab, and Ocrelizumab in Highly Active Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis. JAMA Neurology, 80(7), 702. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2023.1184
Landa, J., Serafim, A. B., Gaig, C., Saiz, A., Koneczny, I., Hoftberger, R., Santamaria, J., Dalmau, J., Graus, F., & Sabater, L. (2023). Patients’ IgLON5 autoantibodies interfere with IgLON5-protein interactions. Frontiers in Immunology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1151574
Martinez-Heras, E., Solana, E., Vivó, F., Lopez-Soley, E., Calvi, A., Alba-Arbalat, S., Schoonheim, M. M., Strijbis, E. M., Vrenken, H., Barkhof, F., Rocca, M. A., Filippi, M., Pagani, E., Groppa, S., Fleischer, V., Dineen, R. A., Bellenberg, B., Lukas, C., Pareto, D., … Llufriu, S. (2023). Diffusion-based structural connectivity patterns of multiple sclerosis phenotypes. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 94(11), 916–923. https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2023-331531