Neuroantibody Biomarkers: Links and Challenges in Environmental Neurodegeneration and Autoimmunity

Figure 1

(1, 2) In the presence of toxicant-induced neurodegeneration, alterations in intracellular structural proteins and proteolysis, antigens (e.g., neuronal neurofilaments, α-synuclein, β-amyloid) are released into (3) the CSF and blood where (4) they are processed by antigen-presenting cells (APC) in the lymphoid tissue to induce humoral autoimmune responses. This autoimmune response, manifested in the form of autoantibodies, provides an accessible biomarker of neurotoxic effects [5]. These antibodies may propagate neurodegenerative changes through complement activation and direct targeting of the neural and vascular architecture, particularly in the presence of increased vascular permeability. Modified from [5].