Calpain inhibition in a murine model of Guillain-Barré syndrome: a pilot study

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a severe paralytic neurological disorder. It affects the peripheral nervous system (nerves connecting the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and organs) and follows minor infections. It can induce complete paralysis, often with permanent untreatable disability. The causative mechanisms in GBS involve antibodies formed in response to infections that injure nerve by activating the inflammation repsone in the body. Part of the immune pathway inappropriately activates an agent, known as calpain, that degrades the structure of the nerves and is part of the mechanism underlying nerve injury. This project aims to explore the therapeutic potential of an experimenal drug that blocks calpain in experimental models of disease. If effective, this study will bring the drug closer to clinical trials in vivo and in man.