What is the main cause of myasthenia gravis?

Written by Lila Levinson, PhD | May 24, 2023

What is the main cause of myasthenia gravis?

Category: Causes

Self-reactive antibodies that target proteins needed for nerve-muscle communication are the main cause of myasthenia gravis. It is not always known why these antibodies develop, but abnormalities in the thymus gland may be involved in some cases.

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About the Author

Lila Levinson, PhD Lila Levinson is a neuroscientist and science writer based out of Seattle. She joined Bionews in 2025 after completing her PhD in neuroscience at the University of Washington, where she studied how the natural flexibility of the human brain can be used to promote recovery after injury. Her research centered on developing techniques to measure brain connectivity using invasive neurotechnology in clinical populations. As a Wesleyan University undergraduate, she studied learning and memory in songbirds. She is passionate about telling science stories in accessible ways. Previously, she has written about science for The Dallas Morning News and the University of Washington Computational Neuroscience Center.