Natural Anti-NMDAR1 autoantibodies associate with slowed decline of cognitive functions in Alzheimer’s diseases
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Anti-NMDAR1 autoantibodies can bind NMDA receptors to suppress glutamate excitotoxicity in the brain. Low titers of blood circulating natural anti-NMDAR1 autoantibodies were reported in ~10% of the general human population. We developed a new method to more accurately quantify these low titers of natural anti-NMDAR1 autoantibodies. After quantifying natural anti-NMDAR1 autoantibodies in the plasma of 324 age- and sex-matched subjects (163 healthy controls; 161 Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients), I found that AD patients carrying higher levels of natural anti-NMDAR1 autoantibodies have significantly (p value: 0.003) higher scores of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE score: 23.5) than AD patients carrying lower levels of natural anti-NMDAR1 autoantibodies (MMSE score: 21.4). No significant differences in MMSE scores were however found between healthy controls with either higher or lower levels of natural anti-NMDAR1 autoantibodies, indicating little harmful effect of the autoantibodies. Consistently, superior cognitive performances were found in AD patients carrying higher levels of natural anti-NMDAR1 autoantibodies in comparison with AD patients carrying lower levels of the autoantibodies. These data suggest that natural anti-NMDAR1 autoantibodies may have neuroprotective effects against cognitive decline in AD patients.
Source: Translational Psychiatry
Author: Xianjin Zhou
Language: English
Subfield: Neurology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $5,290
OpenAlex ID: W7128054737