Autoantibodies Hurt: Transfer of Patient-Derived CASPR2 Antibodies Induces Neuropathic Pain in Mice

In this issue of Neuron , Dawes et al. (2018) show that CASPR2 antibodies (Abs) isolated from patients bind specifically to primary afferent cell bodies and induce neuropathic pain in mice. Consequent decreased expression of Kv1 channels and their aberrant localization along myelinated axons explain the observed hyperexcitability and pain.