Treatment of myasthenia gravis by preventing acetylcholine receptor modulation.
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease caused by antibodies mainly directed to the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) of the neuromuscular junction. Induction of antigenic modulation and complement activation by such autoantibodies leads to ultrastructural damage of the postsynaptic membrane and loss of AChR and associated proteins. Reduction of antigenic modulation by increasing the expression of the receptor-associated anchor protein, rapsyn, or by functionally monovalent competing IgG4 anti-AChR antibodies was shown to prevent MG disease activity. We propose that preventing antigenic modulation can be used as a treatment strategy for MG.
Neuroimmunology Group, Department of Neuroscience, Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience, University of Maastricht, the Netherlands. m.losen@np.unimaas.nl
Mario
M
Losen
Pilar
P
Martínez-Martínez
Marko
M
Phernambucq
Janine
J
Schuurman
Paul W H I
PW
Parren
Marc H
MH
De Baets
D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000378:metabolism*
D000941:Antigens; D001323:Autoantibodies; D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; C051609:peripheral membrane protein 43K