Evidence for Prion-Like Mechanisms in Several Neurodegenerative Diseases: Potential Implications for Immunotherapy

Figure 2

Potential effector functions of immunotherapeutic antibodies in proteinopathies. Misfolded protein-specific antibody responses could function in a neutralizing fashion to bind and block extracellular misfolded protein from spreading to adjacent cells and tissues. These antibodies could also act upon misfolded proteins still associated with diseased cells, thereby decreasing local cell-cell spread, disallowing release of further misfolded protein, and marking cells for destruction by antibody dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity or complement activation.