Research for Rare - Research for rare diseases

CONNECT-GENERATE - German Network for Research on Autoimmune Encephalitis

What is autoimmune encephalitis?

Autoimmune encephalitis (antibody-mediated autoimmune encephalitis) describes a heterogeneous group of rare inflammatory disorders affecting the central nervous system. These diseases cause epileptic seizures, movement and coordination disorders, and neurocognitive and psychiatric disorders.

Although these are treatable diseases, diagnostic errors often result in incorrect or delayed treatment. Therefore, there is still a great need for research on autoimmune encephalitis, with the aim of improving patient care.

More information about autoimmune encephalitis is available on the GENERATE website.

Joint research in the CONNECT-GENERATE network

Since 2019, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has been funding the CONNECT-GENERATE research network, which brings together a large number of experts from Germany. In recent years, the scientists have already made an important contribution to the national networking of therapists, researchers and patients within the framework of the established German Network for Autoimmune Encephalitis Research (GENERATE).

For example, GENERATE provides a platform for information exchange, a server-based registry, pseudonymized clinical data and biomaterials. CONNECT-GENERATE – as part of the GENERATE network – builds on these structures and further preliminary work. In various research projects, CONNECT-GENERATE pursues the goal of achieving improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of people with autoimmune encephalitis and related diseases.

Current research approaches include questions on genetic causes, imaging techniques, immunological basis and neuronal network mechanisms. In addition, a clinical trial (GENERATE-BOOST) is investigating the efficacy of plasma cell-targeted therapeutics. The optimization and expansion of the national patient registry and the structured networking of national and international biomaterial banks are another important task of the network.

New findings in the field of diagnostics and therapy can possibly be transferred to other neuroimmunological diseases as models. This includes, for example, subgroups of multiple sclerosis or neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD).

Projects
Contact

PD Dr. med. Frank Leypoldt
University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel
Institut für Klinische Chemie und Klinik für Neurologie
Arnold-Heller-Str. 3
24105 Kiel

Tel. +49 431 50016209
Email: Frank.leypoldt@uksh.de
Website: www.generate-net.de/connect-generate.html

Publications

Website: GENERATE

More information