Despite being categorized as a rare disorder myasthenia affects 36,000 to 60,000 individuals in the United States. This means that for every 100,000 people, fourteen to twenty of them have been diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (Myasthenia Gravis Foundation, 2023). This reporting is also believed to be an underestimate with many individuals most likely having the disorder but have not been able to be diagnosed yet. This poses a problem to provide care and develop treatments for individuals with the disorder. Effective treatment is needed since the prevalence of myasthenia gravis has been increasing throughout the last few decades. Without proper diagnosis and treatment, myasthenia gravis can be fatal for individuals. Despite first being recognized in the 1600s, there still lacks an efficient treatment to help those with myasthenia gravis. Myasthenia gravis is categorized as an autoimmune disorder. This essentially means that the mechanism we have in place for the body to attack germs, malfunctions, and the body ends up attacking itself. Specifically, the neuromuscular system of your body is attacked. In order for us to move out muscles so that we can walk, run, eat, and go about our lives, our muscles must be able to contract. This process of muscular contraction is affected in those with myasthenia gravis. Our brain acts as the control center of our body and dictates its function. In order to move an arm or a leg, a signal must be sent to these muscles so that they know to move. This signal from the brain is sent down the spinal cord to nerves on the periphery until it reaches its desired destination to receive the signal. The signal is passed through the cells of the nervous system which are known as neurons. These neurons use molecules to pass messages to one another until the signal reaches the desired tissue. In individuals who develop myasthenia gravis, this signaling process is damaged. This means that the signal needed for muscular contraction does not reach the muscles. Therefore the muscles do not contract and the paralysis associated with myasthenia gravis results. Myasthenia gravis can develop in both men and women as well as adults and children. When myasthenia gravis develops, individuals often experience weakness in their arms or legs, facial drooping, difficulty chewing or speaking, and difficulty breathing. All of these functions require functioning muscles to occur and when the signaling for this contraction cannot properly work when the immune response attacks this process. The specific problem stems from the degradation of acetylcholine receptors. These receptors are located on the outside of muscle cells and the signal from the neurons is taken up by these receptors. This binding of acetylcholine to its receptors allows for contraction to take place. This uptake cannot occur when the receptors are degraded. This is what happens when someone has myasthenia gravis. The autoimmune response degrades the receptors and the muscle cells cannot receive the signal telling them to contract. Imagine the acetylcholine molecules as letters you receive in the mail. The letters need to be delivered to the mailboxes so that homeowners can be informed as to what is going on in the world and what bills they need to pay. The homeowners are your muscle cells that rely on the letters to function. However, one day a hurricane rolls through the town and knocks downs a bunch of the mailboxes. Now the mailmen cannot deliver the letters to the homeowners because there are no mailboxes to put them in. This is the same idea for those with myasthenia gravis. The mailmen, neurons, try to deliver letters, acetylcholine, to the mailboxes, the acetylcholine receptors, but the hurricane, immune response, broke the mailboxes so the homeowners, muscle cells, cannot receive their messages. The lack of communication with the muscles results in paralysis that affects the daily functions of those who have myasthenia gravis. This is why effective treatment development is necessary. The current muscle strengtheners, steroids, and immunotherapies all have significant complications. Also, they are not completely effective in treating patients. Even with immunotherapies, the patients could be cured but by suppressing their immune system they spend the rest of their lives very susceptible to other diseases. With the continuing scientific advancements, research can go into developing effective treatments. This can help curb the increasing number of those with myasthenia gravis.
Landmark Moments In Myasthenia Gravis:
