Suppression of ongoing experimental myasthenia by oral treatment with an acetylcholine receptor recombinant fragment.

IL-1 receptor antagonist-mediated therapeutic effect in murine myasthenia gravis is associated with suppressed serum proinflammatory cytokines, C3, and anti-acetylcholine receptor IgG1.

In myasthenia gravis (MG), TNF and IL-1beta polymorphisms and high serum levels of these proinflammatory cytokines have been observed. Likewise, TNF and IL-1beta are critical for the activation of acetylcholine receptor (AChR)-specific T and B cells and for the development of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) induced by AChR immunization. We tested the therapeutic effect of human...

Antigen-specific modulation of experimental myasthenia gravis: nasal tolerization with recombinant fragments of the human acetylcholine receptor alpha-subunit.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) and experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) are antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases in which the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AcChoR) is the major autoantigen. The immune response in these diseases is heterogeneous and is directed to a wide variety of T and B cell epitopes of AcChoR. Candidate molecules for specific immunotherapy of MG should, therefore, h...

Improved methodology to obtain large quantities of correctly folded recombinant N-terminal extracellular domain of the human muscle acetylcholine receptor for inducing experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis in rats

INTRODUCTION Human myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder of the neuromuscular system. Experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) is a well-established animal model for MG that can be induced by active immunization with the Torpedo californica-derived acetylcholine receptor (AChR). Due to the expensive cost of purifying AChR from Torpedo californica, the development of an easier...

Induction of oral tolerance to the acetylcholine receptor for treatment of myasthenia gravis.

Erythropoietin Ameliorates Experimental Autoimmune Myasthenia Gravis

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by weakness and fatigability of skeletal muscles. Erythropoietin (EPO) is a cytokine required to maintain erythroid cells. Recombinant human EPO (rHuEPO) was found to act also on immune cells. Beneficial effects of rHuEPO therapy have been demonstrated in several experimental autoimmune models. We have tested the effect of rHuEPO on...