Stacey Lynn Clardy
University of Utah, UT·Medicine & Clinical Research
Some brain diseases happen when the immune system makes antibodies that attack the brain itself. Anti-NMDAR encephalitis is one of the most common of these.
- Fields
Medicine & Clinical Research
Neuroscience
Microbiology & Immunology
- Topics
anti-NMDAR encephalitis
NMDA receptor
autoimmune encephalitis
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Aug 2027
What they work on
- Test whether adding inebilizumab, an antibody drug that removes B cells and antibody-making plasma cells, to first-line therapy is safe and reduces motor disability at 16 weeks in 116 randomized patients with NMDAR encephalitis.
- Measure the longer-term effect of inebilizumab on cognition, daily function and quality of life, using validated neuropsychological tests, bedside cognitive screens and functional indices.
- Measure NMDAR autoantibody levels and B-cell-related cytokines in cerebrospinal fluid to identify which patients respond to treatment and what biology drives their outcomes.
- Identify early biomarkers that predict a favorable recovery, which could serve as endpoints for future clinical trials in autoimmune encephalitis.
More about the research
Here, antibodies target NMDAR, a receptor protein on nerve cells in the brain. In industrialized nations it is more common than herpes encephalitis. It usually strikes people aged 10 to 50. Patients develop prominent psychiatric symptoms, declining consciousness, seizures and movement disorders. Some also develop life-threatening dysautonomia, a failure of automatic body functions such as heart rate and breathing. About 75% of patients need intensive care. Steroids and immunoglobulin infusions help, but about half of patients stay disabled. No treatment is FDA-approved, and there is little consensus on which second-line drugs to use or when.
Why it matters
Patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis often face intensive care and lasting disability, and no FDA-approved therapy exists. This trial will produce high-quality evidence on whether a B-cell-depleting antibody, inebilizumab, is safe and helps recovery. That evidence could directly guide treatment decisions. Biomarkers of response from spinal fluid could also help doctors predict outcomes and design future trials for autoimmune encephalitis.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
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Robert Silbergleit
University of Michigan, MI·Medicine & Clinical Research
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The school
University of Utah: 58 labs on PI Pages, $789M a year on research, 366 research doctorates a year.
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