Alice Melão,  —

Biological agents that target inflammation-generating immune cells and signaling molecules could be used to treat myasthenia gravis, French researchers report. Biologics have helped people with other autoimmune diseases, so they might be able to restore balance to MG patients’ immune system, the team said. MG stems from an imbalance between…

Researchers have found that the long-term use of the immunosuppressive drug Prograf (tacrolimus) may contribute to the development of lymphoma in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG). This finding resulted from a case report published in Internal Medicine, the journal of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine. Myasthenia gravis…

Higher amounts of anti-acetylcholine receptor (AchR) antibodies in the blood before surgically removing the thymus could be a good predictor of outcomes for patients with myasthenia gravis, a study published in the Open Journal of Thoracic Surgery suggests. Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease characterized by the uncontrolled production…

A recent study by researchers from Yale University furthers understanding about why certain myasthenia gravis (MG) patients who were treated with Rituxan (rituximab) may relapse. Findings of the study, “Autoantibody-producing plasmablasts after B cell depletion identified in muscle-specific kinase myasthenia gravis,” were published at The Journal of Clinical…

Vaccination for protection against tetanus is safe and does not aggravate any clinical or immunological features of myasthenia gravis, according to the results of a report published in the journal Vaccine. Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disorder caused by the abnormal production of antibodies that attack one’s body. These…

Alteration of eye movement due to muscle weakness is not uncommon among patients with myasthenia gravis (MG). But now researchers at University of Cape Town (UCT) have identified the main characteristics of patients with juvenile-onset MG and of African genetic ancestry who present ocular manifestations associated with MG and do…

The European Commission (EC) has approved Soliris (eculizumab) to include the treatment of refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) in adults who are anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody-positive. The approval of Soliris, marketed by Alexion Pharmaceuticals, follows a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the…

Heavier myasthenia gravis patients are at higher risk of having respiratory failure or other complications after their thymus is removed, a study reports. Doctors should monitor such patients closely to prevent severe postoperative complications, researchers contended. The thymus is a gland in the chest that plays a role in the immune…

ALS and myasthenia gravis have features in common, including an underlying immunological mechanism and alterations in communication junctions between muscle and nerve cells, Chinese researchers report. The Peking Union Medical College team published its study in Frontiers in Neurology. Its title was  “Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Myasthenia Gravis Overlap Syndrome: A…