Analysis of autoantibodies carried out by USP researchers indicates that neurodegenerative diseases may involve systemic dysregulation
By Maria Fernanda Ziegler
Researchers at USP (University of São Paulo) discovered that neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis may be more complex than previously known. The analysis of almost 600 blood samples from patients showed that neurodegeneration processes are not restricted to the central nervous system, but involve systemic dysregulation.
“We carried out a systemic analysis based on autoantibodies, defense proteins [imunoglobulinas] that mistakenly attack the body’s own healthy cells, tissues, or organs instead of external pathogens. In this study we saw that, contrary to what was thought, in these diseases an antibody does not just attack a specific region of the connection between neurons [sinapse]. This is a systemic attack”says Fapesp scholarship holder and first author of the study.
The work, in the journal iSciencemapped more than 9,000 autoantibodies from public databases. With the results, the researchers suggest that treatment strategies should prioritize blocking the autoimmune response systemically. The data science study still needs to be confirmed in tests in vitro e alivebut reinforces a new paradigm for the treatment of diseases.
“We use as an analogy a house full of doors and windows in which every effort is wasted to lock just one of them. But the deregulated immune system is firing at all the other doors. The attack hits the synaptic networks in a coordinated way”says , professor at the USP Faculty of Medicine and coordinator of the research, supported by Fapesp.
IMMUNE AND NERVOUS SYSTEMS
Neurodegenerative diseases are usually understood as pathologies related to protein accumulations or local neuronal failures. Alzheimer’s, the main cause of dementia, mainly affects people over 65 years of age and is linked to the accumulation of beta-amyloid protein plaques in the brain, leading to progressive memory loss.
Parkinson’s, the 2nd most common neurodegenerative disease, is also common in the elderly and is manifested by tremors, rigidity and slow movement.. Multiple sclerosis, common in young women, results from autoimmune inflammation that causes loss of the myelin sheath and neurodegeneration..
“Despite having different causes and symptoms, the 3 diseases share neuroimmune dysregulation. Therefore, studying autoantibodies is essential to understand how immunity influences the nervous system”says Usuda.
DISEASE MARKERS
The researchers identified “autoantibody signatures” which can be correlated with immunological status and neurological damage. In the case of Alzheimer’s, they identified the systemic role of these molecules, which reinforces strategies that indicate an improvement in neural connections when there is a reduction in B lymphocytes.
This text was originally published by Agência Fapesp, on May 4, 2026. The content is free for republication, citing the source, and was adapted to the standard of Poder360.
