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Antigen‐specific apheresis of autoantibodies in myasthenia gravis
Author(s) -
Lazaridis Konstantinos,
Zisimopoulou Paraskevi,
Lagoumintzis George,
Skriapa Labrini,
Trakas Nikos,
Evangelakou Panagiota,
Kanelopoulos Ioannis,
Grapsa Eirini,
Poulas Kostas,
Tzartos Socrates
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2012.06788.x
Subject(s) - myasthenia gravis , autoantibody , apheresis , immunology , medicine , antigen , antibody , platelet
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder affecting the neuromuscular junction, usually caused by autoantibodies against the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) or the muscle‐specific kinase (MuSK). Our aim is the development of a therapy based on the selective extracorporeal elimination of anti‐AChR or anti‐MuSK antibodies. To this end, the extracellular domains of the AChR subunits and MuSK have been expressed in yeast to be used as adsorbents, after optimization, and to obtain large quantities of proteins with near‐native structure. We have characterized these proteins with respect to their use as specific immunoadsorbents for MG autoantibodies, and have begun large‐scale experiments in order to verify the feasibility of application of the method for therapy. Furthermore, we have initiated animal studies to test possible toxicity and safety issues of the adsorbents or the procedure itself. The successful completion of the scale‐up and safety tests will allow the initiation of clinical trials.