Author Archives: Ana Pena, PhD

Cell models that best mirror the surface of muscle cells crowded with acetylcholine receptors (AChR) are most helpful for understanding how self-reacting antibodies interrupt communication between nerve cells and muscles in myasthenia gravis (MG), a study reports. Using these models, researchers found that some antibodies only recognize clustered receptors,…

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) works to treat people with myasthenia gravis (MG) by increasing the numbers of regulatory immune cells that help to control autoimmune reactions in the bloodstream, an early study suggests. A subset of these cells containing the CTLA-4 protein appears to be particularly important, and may provide…

Low blood levels of regulatory immune cells that prevent autoimmune responses, and high levels of antibody-producing memory B-cells may cause ocular myasthenia gravis (MG) to progress to generalized MG, an early study suggests. The study, “Comparison of peripheral blood B cell subset ratios and B cell-related cytokine levels between…

The protein osteopontin, thought to be involved in autoimmunity and inflammation, appears to aggravate myasthenia gravis (MG) progression by promoting the production of self-reacting immune cells while lessening the number of cells that safeguard the body against autoimmune reactions, an early study in rats has found. In…

Receiving fewer plasma exchange, or plasmapheresis treatments and having poorer kidney function with lower filtration rates are risk factors for myasthenia relapses, a study suggests. Over a follow-up of 50 months, patients without relapses were found to have higher glomerular filtration…

Treatments conventionally used for myasthenia gravis (MG) can produce side effects that negatively impact the daily lives of patients and may deter them from taking their medications properly, according to a study which also highlights the need for more effective and tolerable treatment options. The report, titled “…

In people with ocular myasthenia gravis, the presence of anti-AChR or anti-MuSK antibodies likely increases their risk of disease generalization to the rest of the body, according to a recent study. Researchers also call attention to the disease when it’s associated with certain cancer therapies, due to greater…

Most patients with late-onset myasthenia gravis (LOMG) — those whose disease appears at age 50 or later and is not related to tumors in the thymus gland — are men, have mild-to-moderate disease, and respond well to treatment with oral prednisone combined with azathioprine, a study in…

A rare case of myasthenia gravis (MG) complicated by a tumor in the thymus and an immunodeficiency known as Good syndrome has been documented by researchers, who warn against heavy use of certain immunosuppressants that are likely ineffective and pose a risk for serious infections. The…

Amneal has signed a licensing agreement with Kashiv BioSciences to develop and potentially commercialize K127, an extended-release tablet of pyridostigmine, for the treatment of myasthenia gravis (MG) in the United States. The deal offers Amneal exclusive rights over K127 development and marketing in the U.S. and the…