Biology of AQP4 and Anti-AQP4 Antibody: Therapeutic Implications for NMO

• Published in: Brain pathology (Zurich, Switzerland) Vol. 23; no. 6; pp. 684 - 695
• Main Authors: Verkman, A. S., Phuan, Puay-Wah, Asavapanumas, Nithi, Tradtrantip, Lukmanee
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.11.2013; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Animals; aquaporin; Aquaporin 4 - immunology; Aquaporin 4 - metabolism; astrocyte; Astrocytes - metabolism; autoimmunity; complement; Cytotoxicity; Humans; Immunoglobulin G - immunology; Immunoglobulin G - metabolism; Medical research; Mice; Mini‐Symposium: Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO), Part 1; neuromyelitis optica; Neuromyelitis Optica - immunology; Neuromyelitis Optica - metabolism; Neuromyelitis Optica - therapy; orthogonal array; Rodents; orthogonal array; autoimmunity; aquaporin; complement; astrocyte; neuromyelitis optica

The water channel aquaporin‐4 (AQP4) is the target of the immunoglobulin G autoantibody (AQP4‐IgG) in neuromyelitis optica (NMO). AQP4 is expressed in foot processes of astrocytes throughout the central nervous system, as well as in skeletal muscle and epithelial cells in kidney, lung and gastrointe...