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Muscle-Specific Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (MuSK) Myasthenia Gravis

  • Nerve and Muscle (LH Weimer, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Autoimmune myasthenia gravis (MG) is the prototypic, antibody-mediated neuromuscular disease and is characterized by a decrease in the number of functional acetylcholine receptors (AChR) within the muscle end plate zone of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Although the pathophysiology of AChR-mediated myasthenia gravis has been extensively studied over the last 40 years since its original description by Patrick and Lindstrom (Science 180:871–872, 1973), less is known about the much more recently described muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) antibody-mediated MG. MuSK-MG has features clinically distinct from Ach-R MG, as well as a different pattern of response to treatment and a unique immunopathogenesis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, 2 Tampa General Circle 6th Floor, Room 6091, Tampa, FL, 33606, USA

    Rebecca L. Hurst & Clifton L. Gooch

  2. Department of Neurology, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd MDC 55, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA

    Clifton L. Gooch

Authors
  1. Rebecca L. Hurst
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  2. Clifton L. Gooch
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Correspondence to Rebecca L. Hurst.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Nerve and Muscle

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Hurst, R.L., Gooch, C.L. Muscle-Specific Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (MuSK) Myasthenia Gravis. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 16, 61 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-016-0668-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-016-0668-z

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