Abstract
Myasthenia gravis is a relatively rare neurological disease that is associated with loss of the acetylcholine receptors that initiate muscle contraction. This results in muscle weakness, which can be life-threatening. The story of how both the physiological basis of the disease and the role of acetylcholine-receptor-specific antibodies were determined is a classic example of the application of basic science to clinical medicine, and it has provided a model for defining other antibody-mediated disorders of the peripheral and central nervous systems.
Publication types
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Historical Article
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Review
MeSH terms
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Autoantibodies / metabolism
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Autoimmunity
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History, 17th Century
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History, 19th Century
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History, 20th Century
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Humans
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Immunity, Cellular
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Models, Immunological
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Myasthenia Gravis / etiology*
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Myasthenia Gravis / history
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Myasthenia Gravis / immunology
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Myasthenia Gravis / physiopathology
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Neuromuscular Junction / physiopathology
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Receptors, Cholinergic / chemistry
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Receptors, Cholinergic / immunology
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Synaptic Transmission
Substances
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Autoantibodies
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Receptors, Cholinergic