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Updated: Feb 8, 2026

Ganglioside Extraction, Purification and Profiling
Published on: March 12, 2021
Anti-ganglioside Antibodies in Peripheral Nerve Pathology
1Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK. hugh.willison@glasgow.ac.uk.
Abstract:
Anti-ganglioside antibodies are principally associated with autoimmune peripheral neuropathies. In these disorders, immune attack is inadvertently directed at peripheral nerve by autoantibodies that target glycan structures borne by glycolipids, particularly gangliosides concentrated in nerve myelin and axons. The most thoroughly studied disorder is the acute paralytic disease, Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in which IgG autoantibodies against gangliosides arise following acute infections, notably Campylobacter jejuni enteritis. Additionally, chronic autoimmune neuropathies are associated with IgM antibodies directed against many glycolipids including gangliosides. This introductory chapter briefly summarizes the immunological and pathological features of these disorders, focusing on the methodological development of antibody measurement and of animal models.
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