Immunolesioning: selective destruction of neurons using immunotoxin to rat NGF receptor.

192 IgG, a monoclonal antibody to the rat nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor, was disulfide-coupled to saporin, a ribosome-inactivating protein. Systemic injection of 192 IgG-saporin destroyed sympathetic postganglionic neurons and some sensory neurons. Injection of 192 IgG-saporin into the lateral ventricle destroyed cholinergic neurons of the basal forebrain. These results show that antineuronal immunotoxins are a powerful approach that may prove useful in a variety of neurobiological applications.