Anti-NMDAR encephalitis induced in mice by active immunization with a peptide from amino-terminal domain of the GluN1 subunit

Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is a recently discovered autoimmune syndrome associated with psychosis, dyskinesia, and seizures. However, the underlying mechanisms of this disease remain unclear, in part because of a lack of suitable animal models. This study describes a novel mouse model of anti-NMDAR encephalitis that was induced by active immunization against NMDARs using amino-terminal domain peptides. After 12 weeks of immunization, the mice showed significant behavioral disorders and memory loss. Furthermore, antibodies from the cerebrospinal fluid of immunized mice lowered the surface NMDAR cluster density in hippocampal neurons. Immunization also impaired long-term potentiation at Schaffer collateral–CA1 synapses and reduced NMDAR-induced calcium influx. This novel mouse model may allow further research into the pathogenesis of anti-NMDAR encephalitis and aid in the development of new therapies for this disease.