The Future of Myasthenia Gravis: Exploring the Onset, Progression and Implications of Disease

• Main Author: Paluszcyk, Chana Renee
• Other Authors: Wilson, Jean
• Language: en_US
• Published: The University of Arizona. 2016
• Subjects: Complement system; Myasthenia gravis; nicotinic acetylcholine receptor; Cellular and Molecular Medicine; Autoimmune
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10150/613371; http://arizona.openrepository.com/arizona/handle/10150/613371

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease whose name means "grave muscular weakness". MG is a rare disease affecting only 200-400 persons per million and the characteristic symptoms include muscle weakness, particularly in highly active voluntary muscles. MG affects the neuromuscular junction in an antibody-mediated manner, resulting in impaired nerve-muscle cell communication in affected individuals. Specifically, two main proteins are targeted: nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (ACh receptors) and a muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK). Previous studies have discovered the mechanism of MG pathogenesis but the exact mechanisms which cause the failure to maintain self-tolerance have not been discovered. Based on current knowledge of MG, this paper will explore potential causes of the disease and provide numerous hypotheses directed at future research opportunities.