Fire in the Head: When our immune system turns against the body
Autoimmune encephalitis is a rare but serious and sometimes life-threatening condition affecting the central nervous system. In this condition, the body’s own immune system attacks various receptors at the junctions between nerve cells – the synapses – thereby disrupting signal transmission in the brain. Those affected – mostly young adults – experience psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, epileptic seizures and impaired consciousness, which can progress to a coma.
As part of this year’s Long Night of Science, we would like to invite you to find out about the research projects being carried out at the University Hospital. Observe neurons under a stereomicroscope and gain an insight into the researchers’ work.
We will show you the mechanistic approaches we are pursuing in our quest for new therapeutic strategies.
