Diagnostic Challenges in Neuroimmunology

Dear Colleagues,

The field of auto-immune brain disorders is expanding at a fast pace, with an increasing prevalence of immune neurological diseases and the recognition of a major burden at the world scale. Risk factors are being increasingly recognized, including genetic determinants. In addition, the domain of epigenetics has underlined the importance of the interaction with environmental factors. Research findings are re-shaping our appraisal of immune tolerance and the intrusion of lymphocytes through the blood‒brain‒barrier as a key factor to trigger the disease. The early detection of immune neurological disease is a key step for the prevention and initiation of early therapies. Biomarkers such as auto-antibodies are particularly helpful from a diagnostic standpoint, although sero-negative diseases cannot be neglected and represent a challenging situation. In this case, a lack of sensitivity in laboratory tests, immunosuppression, and antigen exhaustion need to be considered.

This Special Issue welcomes original research, review articles, case reports, and letters in the field of neuroimmunology of the CNS and peripheral nervous system. Experimental studies starting from the bench and clinical results will be considered.

Prof. Dr. Mario Manto
Dr. Hiroshi Mitoma
Dr. Christiane Susanne Hampe
Guest Editors

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