Characterization of checkpoint receptor-mediated B-T-cell communication as novel targets for immunotherapies

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This project will perform deep clinical and immunological phenotyping of two antibody-mediated neurological diseases, such as autoimmune encephalitis (AIE) and myasthenia gravis (MG) to reveal underlying common or distinct dysregulated immune pathways. Our research will focus on pathological interactions between T and B/plasma cells, their altered composition and disturbed communication including altered expression of co-stimulatory and co-inhibitory checkpoint molecules (CM) in a disease-specific context. Immunological analysis will be flanked by continuous detection and analysis of physiological (neuro)monitoring parameters stored in a data warehouse connect (DWC WC; Philips) system during the entire stay at the neurointensive care unit (NICU), evaluation of neurological and outcome scores at NIC U and later follow-up. Obtained insights will be used to identify novel and individualized targets for more specific and innovative e.g. cell-based immunotherapies, but also to develop early predictive classifiers of treatment response to standard immunotherapies and long-term outcome by artificial intelligence-based algorithms. This would allow decision making for escalating treatment strategies at an early disease stage and thus improve patient outcome.