NeurAntigen-AiE A Novel Human Neural System for the Diagnosis of Patients with Autoimmune Encephalitis
Grants and awards
Financial support from European Research Council (2020), MINECO (2021) PoC grants and CaixaImpulse (2024).
Looking for…
Partners for license agreement or co-development.
Intellectual Property
European patent application filed on October 2023 and PCT extension filed on October 2024.
Applicants: Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, FRCB-IDIBAPS, IDIBELL, ICREA and UB.
Reference
UBTT0479-E
Contact
Inma Íñiguez
Email: iiniguez@fbg.ub.edu
NeurAntigen-AiE A Novel Human Neural System for the Diagnosis of Patients with Autoimmune Encephalitis
Clinical Need / Need
Autoimmune encephalitis (AiE) is a severe inflammatory disorder of the brain produced by animmune attack to neurons. In patients with AiE, the precise detection of neuronal surface antibodies in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is key to establish a definitive diagnosis.
Development
NeurAntigen is close to being a minimum viable product (MVP) with TRL 4-5. The technical feasibility of the solution has been demonstrated in the lab, and assessed by stakeholders.
Solution and Competitive Advantages
We have developed a novel platform for the detection of antibodies based on neurons derived from human cells (iPSCs). It has significant advantages over existing technologies, with higher sensitivity than other widely-distributed chips (cell-based assays limited to a few antigen specificities), and detection of an extensive repertoire of AiE associated neuronal surface antibodies. The use of NeurAntigen kit as a first diagnostic step will reduce unnecessary tests and costs for patients with negative results. This innovative tool allows a rapid and accurate diagnosis of patients with AiE, impacting on clinical decisions, treatment and prognosis.