Anti-ganglioside GM1, (rabbit)

Anti-ganglioside GM1 is very useful in the identification of ganglioside GM1 and in immunotargeting cells expressing GM1. Several gangliosides have been found to have an elevated expression in tumor cells. Many therapeutic treatments of tumor cells are being investigated using antibodies to target cells that express these elevated levels of gangliosides. GM1 stimulates neuronal sprouting and enhances the action of nerve growth factor (NGF) by directly and tightly associating with Trk, the high-affinity tyrosine kinase-type receptor for NGF. It is also the specific cell surface receptor for cholera toxin. Because gangliosides are very important in neuronal cells, autoantibodies against gangliosides or other glycosphingolipids can lead to many autoimmune neuropathies such as demyelinating polyneuropathy, Guillain-Barré syndrome, motor neuron disease3 and sensorymotor neuropathy. IgM anti-GM1 occurs frequently in the serum of patients with multifocal motor neuropathy.4