Myology research highlights

The terminal complement inhibitor eculizumab was shown to improve myasthenia gravis-related symptoms in the 26-week, phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled REGAIN study (NCT01997229). In this 52-week sub-analysis of the open-label extension of REGAIN (NCT02301624), eculizumab’s efficacy and safety were assessed in 11 Japanese and 88 Caucasian patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive refractory generalized myasthenia gravis. … [Read more]

The purpose of this study was to develop a fast MR fingerprinting (MRF) sequence for simultaneous estimation of water T1 (T1H2O ) and fat fraction (FF) in fat infiltrated skeletal muscles. The MRF sequence for T1H2O and FF quantification (MRF T1-FF) comprises a 1400 radial spokes echo train, following nonselective inversion, with varying echo and … [Read more]

Hereditary proximal spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is caused by survival motor neuron (SMN) protein deficiency due to homozygous loss of SMN1 gene function. Residual SMN protein levels are produced by the SMN2 gene and SMN protein is expressed ubiquitously. Its deficiency causes alpha motor neuron loss. Observations in animal models suggest other tissues, for example … [Read more]

Acetylcholine receptor deficiency is the most common form of the congenital myasthenic syndromes, a heterogeneous collection of genetic disorders of neuromuscular transmission characterized by fatiguable muscle weakness. Most patients with acetylcholine receptor deficiency respond well to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors; however, in some cases the efficacy of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors diminishes over time. Patients with acetylcholine receptor deficiency … [Read more]

Acetylcholine receptor deficiency is the most common form of the congenital myasthenic syndromes, a heterogeneous collection of genetic disorders of neuromuscular transmission characterized by fatiguable muscle weakness. Most patients with acetylcholine receptor deficiency respond well to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors; however, in some cases the efficacy of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors diminishes over time. Patients with acetylcholine receptor deficiency … [Read more]

Myasthenic crisis can induce Takotsubo cardiomyopathy leading to transient systolic and diastolic left ventricular dysfunction and wall-motion abnormalities, including the characteristic apical ballooning. The authors aimed to define the clinical features of this disease entity. A systematic review was conducted to examine the characteristics of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy presenting in myasthenia gravis patients. Case reports were … [Read more]

Current outcomes in neuromuscular disorder clinical trials include motor function scales, timed tests, and strength measures performed by trained clinical evaluators. These measures are slightly subjective and are performed during a visit to a clinic or hospital and constitute therefore a point assessment. Point assessments can be influenced by daily patient condition or factors such … [Read more]

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neurodegenerative disease associated with severe muscle atrophy and weakness in the limbs and trunk. The authors report interim efficacy and safety outcomes as of March 29, 2019 in 25 children with genetically diagnosed SMA who first received nusinersen in infancy while presymptomatic in the ongoing Phase 2, multisite, open-label, … [Read more]

This study amied to define the clinical phenotype of dermatomyositis (DM) with anti-Mi2 autoantibodies. In this longitudinal cohort study, the prevalence and severity of clinical features at disease onset and during follow-up in patients with anti-Mi2-positive DM were compared to patients with anti-Mi2-negative DM, antisynthetase syndrome (AS), and immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM). Longitudinal anti-Mi2 autoantibody … [Read more]

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by progressive degeneration of spinal cord and brainstem motor neurons caused by homozygous deletions in the survival motor neuron (SMN1) gene resulting in loss of SMN protein. Two children with SMA type 1 received, for the first time, these two innovative treatments, which work with … [Read more]