Abstract
IgM M-proteins in some motor neuron disease (MND) patients bind immunologically to shared determinants on gangliosides GM1 and GD1b. Since patients with these M-proteins have improved with immunotherapy the antibodies may be important in the pathogenesis of MND. To study how the M-proteins might damage motor neurons, we established co-cultures of human neurons from spinal cord explants and human myotubes. Antibodies from patient but not control serum bound to the cultured neurons. Neurons in co-cultures degenerated after incubation with patient but not control serum. These results demonstrate that anti-GM1 antibodies can bind to and destroy spinal cord neurons that are cultured with muscle. Nerve-muscle co-cultures can serve as a system to examine effects of anti-GM1/GD1b M-proteins on motor neurons.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 38-45 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Journal of the Neurological Sciences |
Volume | 120 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 1 1993 |
Keywords
- Anti-GM M-proteins
- Motor neurons
- Tissue culture
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ageing
- Clinical Neurology
- Surgery
- Neuroscience(all)
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Neurology