Trial to Evaluate Efficacy and Safety of Bortezomib in Patients With Severe Autoimmune Encephalitis

This study tests whether bortezomib — a drug already used in certain blood cancers — can help patients with severe autoimmune encephalitis who have not improved with standard treatments. Autoimmune encephalitis is a condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks the brain, causing serious symptoms like confusion, seizures, personality changes, and inability to move or speak. Most patients improve with standard immunotherapy, but a subset remain severely disabled despite aggressive treatment. Bortezomib works by destroying plasma cells, which are the immune cells producing the harmful antibodies attacking the brain. Participants must have already received rituximab (another immunotherapy) without adequate improvement. This is an early-phase trial aimed at determining whether bortezomib is safe and potentially effective in this severe group. You may be eligible if: - You are 18 or older - You have severe autoimmune encephalitis (modified Rankin Scale score of 3 or higher) - Your diagnosis is confirmed by antibodies to neuronal surface proteins in your blood or spinal fluid - You have already received rituximab treatment You may NOT be eligible if: - You are pregnant or breastfeeding - You have an active infiltrative lung or pericardial disease - You have an active malignant tumor currently receiving chemotherapy - You are still receiving glucocorticoids or rituximab during the study period - You have a known allergy to bortezomib Talk to your doctor to see if this trial is right for you.