I started coughing last week. Really coughing. The kind that hurts your ribs after a while, and wakes you up during the night. It’s the kind of cough that makes people move away from you in public as they whisper behind their hands. I had flown to another…
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…
Aimovig (erenumab) and the investigational immune therapy subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIg) can safely be used simultaneously to treat migraines and myasthenia gravis, according to a recent case report. Both treatments were found to be effective at treating their individual conditions in the same patient and did not…
On March 15, South Africa waited with bated breath for its president to address new measures to fight COVID-19. Countless messages of anticipation cycled between family and friends in those moments. “Do you think schools will be closed?” “What will happen to our jobs?” “Will our hospitals be able to…
Out-of-pocket expenses for people in China who have myasthenia gravis increased from 2013 to 2015, suggesting that current policies for medical insurance in China are inadequate for those living with the disease, a new study has found. The study, “Out-of-pocket expenses for myasthenia gravis patients in China:…
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…
Last week, we had the first COVID-19 diagnosis in South Africa, and everyone immediately dashed to their panic stations. People flocked to pharmacies to buy all of the masks, hand sanitizers, and hand soap they could find. Stores are now sold out of these items across the country, and…
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…
Surgery to remove the thymus gland, a procedure often recommended to people with myasthenia gravis whether or not tumors exist, is more likely to result in complete disease remission when the surgery is assisted by robots, a study found. The study, “Improvement in symptom remission rate…
In recognition of Rare Disease Day Feb. 29, Bionews Services launched a social media campaign last month asking patients to describe what makes them rare. Running Feb. 7–29, the #WhatMakesMeRare campaign was aimed at uplifting people with rare diseases by encouraging them to share their stories and perspectives. The…
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