New research from the Myasthenia Gravis Rare Disease Network (MGNet). This summary is based on a paper published in the journal
Frontiers in Immunology on June 17, 2025, titled "Subtype-specific atypical B cell profiles in myasthenia gravis reveal distinct immunopathological pathways."
Read the paper here. Learn more about MGNet. Transcript: New research from the Myasthenia Gravis Rare Disease Network (MGNet), a research group of the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network.
Exploring the Effect of Atypical B Cells on Immune Response in Myasthenia Gravis.
This summary is based on a paper published in the journal
Frontiers in Immunology on June 17, 2025.
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a neuromuscular disorder caused by an autoimmune response which blocks or damages acetylcholine receptors (AChR) in muscles, causing disabling weakness. Subtypes of MG—AChR-positive MG and muscle-specific kinase (MuSK)-positive MG—have different immune responses that may be caused by atypical B cells, an emerging subset of immune cells implicated in autoimmunity.
In this study, researchers explored the effect of atypical B cells on immune response in MG. The team used spectral flow cytometry to analyze atypical B cells in individuals with AChR-MG and MuSK-MG as well as healthy controls.
Results revealed that MG subtypes show distinct atypical B cell profiles that are linked to immunopathology and disease onset. Authors note that these findings highlight the potential for atypical B cells as therapeutic targets in both immunoglobin G1-3- and immunoglobin G4-mediated autoimmunity.