Dr. Jason Shepherd and his lab have just published research in the journal Cell titled "PNMA2 forms immunogenic non-enveloped virus-like capsids associated with paraneoplastic neurological syndrome"
Dr. Jason Shepherd and his lab have just published research in the journal Cell titled "PNMA2 forms immunogenic non-enveloped virus-like capsids associated with paraneoplastic neurological syndrome"
Work led by Junjie Xu in the Shepherd lab found that PNMA2, which is a domesticated retrotransposon gene associated with cancer-induced paraneoplastic neurological syndrome, is released as non-enveloped virus-like capsids. These capsids are immunogenic and induce an autoimmune response that leads to neurological deficits when injected into mice, providing mechanistic insight into the role of PNMA genes in cancer-induced autoimmune neurological disorders.
More information can be found at the University of Utah Healthcare Newsroom.