By Drs. Ruth Stassart and Brian Callaghan

From basic discoveries to clinical applications, the 2026 PNS Annual Meeting showcased the continued progress being made in peripheral nerve research. The program brought together basic and clinical research, illustrating how new insights into peripheral nerve biology are driving improvements in diagnosis and treatment. Presentations covered a broad spectrum of neuropathies and addressed emerging therapeutic concepts for hereditary, autoimmune, toxic and other neuropathies as well as traumatic nerve injuries.

Major points of interest were:

• An update from the International GBS Outcome Study shed light on evolving concepts in Guillain–Barré syndrome pathogenesis, disease progression, and emphasized the importance of early diagnosis and timely treatment.
• Insights into programmed axon degeneration pathways highlighted the pivotal roles of the NAD-metabolism-related enzymes SARM1 and NMNAT2 in regulating axonal integrity and underscored their relevance to disease mechanisms in a wide spectrum of peripheral nerve and neurodegenerative disorders.
• The phenotypic and pathophysiological spectrum of small fiber neuropathies were discussed by plenary speakers and in several other presentations, recognizing novel insights into genetic as well as metabolic determinants of neuropathic pain.
• The complementary value of integrating experimental model systems, including iPSC-derived cellular models, zebrafish, rodent models and human tissue, was a recurring theme in presentations and SIG sessions, emphasizing their collective contribution to elucidating pathogenic pathways and therapeutic targets.
• The Education Course provided an excellent overview across genetic, diabetic, and immune-mediated neuropathies, demonstrating how advances in understanding disease mechanisms, neuroimmune signaling and biomarker development are driving the development of novel diagnostic approaches and therapeutic strategies, including clinical trials.

Abstract Prize Winners:

• The Peter J. Dyck Prize for Research in Diabetic Neuropathies was awarded to Maiken Krogsbæk Bøgh for her work on spatial transcriptomic profiling of painful diabetic neuropathy.
• Max Stewart received the J. W. Griffin Prize for Research in Regeneration for his randomized, placebo-controlled trial investigating pre-operative electrical stimulation, demonstrating no improvement in outcomes after carpal tunnel decompression.
• The Richard and Mary Bunge Prize for Outstanding Insights in Nerve Biology was given to Juan Sebastián Jara who investigated the pathophysiological role of DRG macrophage polarization states for sensory neuron outcomes after nerve injury.
• Thu Pham was awarded the Anita Harding Prize, given in honor of a female pioneer and awarded to a female presenting author, for the description of gene regulatory networks of Paclitaxel-induced peripheral neurotoxicity in human sensory neurons.
• The Arthur K. Asbury Prize for Research in the Field of GBS/CIDP/Inflammatory Neuropathies was awarded to Anouk van Dommelen for the comprehensive analysis of longitudinal serum neurofilament light chain in patients with Guillain-Barré Syndrome
• Maike Dohrn received the P. K. Thomas Prize for Contribution to the Field of Inherited Neuropathies for her presentation on FAM169A-linked Nuclear Envelopathy as a new mendelian disease of motor axons.
• The Jonathan Pembroke Prize, awarded to a young researcher working in Australia, South Asia, or New Zealand, was given to Anke Claessens for her work demonstrating the role of HDAC6 in axonal pathology in a mouse model of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2J.
• Eveline Wiegers received the Richard A. C. Hughes Prize for Outstanding Clinical Research for her study on the comparative effectiveness of imlifidase versus intravenous immunoglobulin treatment for Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Clinical Advances:

• A study using a novel statistical technique, matching adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) demonstrated that imlifidase (enzyme that degrades IgG antibodies) and IVIG has better outcomes then IVIG in patients with GBS. Controls were matched using the International GBS Observational Study (IGOS). Future randomized trials are needed to verify these results.
• Spinal muscular atrophy has three approved therapies that all improve motor function, survival, and quality of life. Given these successes, therapy has moved from treating symptomatic children to pre-symptomatic babies after newborn screen. Prenatal therapy is also under investigation. The therapeutic advances in this area are a roadmap for other inherited peripheal nerve conditions.
• A systematic review demonstrated that approximately 50% of CIDP patients remain stable when taken off IVIG even when they were considered IVIG dependent by their physicians. These results highlight the need to determine IVIG requirements in CIDP patients on a routine basis.
• CRISPR gene editing strategies are being used in patients with hereditary TTR amyloidosis neuropathy. A single infusion of these therapies can lead to persistently reduced TTR levels based on results of Phase 1/2a and Phase 1 studies.

Basic Research Advances:

• The essential role of Schwann cell-secreted gliomedin in Na+ channel clustering was highlighted, providing novel perspectives on previously unrecognized mechanisms by which myelinating Schwann cells regulate nerve excitability in health and disease, including in the context of pain and demyelination.
• Insights into the functional mechanisms of RFC1 repeat expansion in CANVAS, together with advances in DNA and long-read sequencing technologies, illustrated how these approaches have facilitated the discovery of pathogenic non-coding repeat expansions as common contributors to neuropathies and neuromuscular disorders.
• In addition to intrinsic mechanisms of programmed axon degeneration after traumatic injury, the contribution of Schwann cells to facilitating axonal disintegration was discussed, alongside the role Schwann cell plasticity mechanisms in enhancing nerve regeneration.
• Highlights were also presented during the Mini Symposia, including:
  • Global perspectives on peripheral neuropathy, revisiting tropical and neglected neuropathies and discussing the path from neglected diseases to precision medicine
• Wired for Pain: Unraveling Hereditary Neuropathies, which brought together complementary perspectives spanning genetic, metabolic, and clinical domains in the field of painful hereditary neuropathies.