Chicago—Advances in the treatment of myasthenia gravis have come a long way and mortality from the disease now occurs in less than 5% of affected individuals. But current therapies are nonspecific and can cause a variety of adverse effects and health risks.
Researchers are hopeful that improved therapies could battle the disease more effectively and provide patients with a better quality of life. Scientists pursuing research that might lead to new treatment options for patients with this rare chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disorder met here recently at the International Conference on Myasthenia Gravis and Related Disorders to discuss promising new findings.
IMMUNE RESPONSE MANIPULATION
In many patients with myasthenia gravis, autoantibodies produced against the receptor for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) in the neuromuscular junction lead to such symptoms as blurred vision, chronic muscle fatigue, and difficulty breathing. Immunosuppressive agents are often effective in the treatment of myasthenia gravis, but such . . . [Full Text of this Article]
