Mantegazza Renato, Antozzi Carlo
Neuroimmunology and Neuromuscular Diseases Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico "Carlo Besta", Milan, Italy.
Front Neurol. 2020 Sep 2;11:981. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00981. eCollection 2020.
Treatment of Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is still based on non-specific immunosuppression. Long-term high dose corticosteroids is still a major cause of side effects, in young as well as in elderly patients in whom comorbidities further increase the burden of chronic immunosuppression. Moreover, awareness of the limits of traditional therapies has led to the concept of "refractory MG." The therapeutic approach to MG is therefore progressively evolving from the classic combination of corticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs to new biological compounds targeting different immunopathological steps. Killing of B cells with Rituximab has been proposed and tested with positive results, particularly in patients with MuSK-associated MG. Therapeutic monoclonals against B cells at different stages of their maturation, or against molecules involved in B cell activation and function, represent a new area for further investigation. A differently targeted approach involved Eculizumab, a monoclonal antibody preventing the formation of C59b-induced MAC causing destruction of the neuromuscular junction. Data from clinical trials led to the approval of Eculizumab in the United States and Europe for MG. Since Eculizumab is a complement-targeted therapy, its use is limited to anti-acetylcholine receptor-associated MG, since anti-MuSK antibodies belong to IgG4 subclass and do not fix complement. Several anti-complement compounds are under investigation. An even more recent approach is the interference with the neonatal Fc receptor leading to a rapid reduction of circulating IgGs and hence of specific autoantibodies, an approach suitable for both anti-acetylcholine- and MuSK-associated MG. The investigation of compounds that selectively target the immune system will stimulate the search for specific biomarkers of disease activity and response to treatment, setting the basis for personalized medicine in MG.
重症肌无力(MG)的治疗仍基于非特异性免疫抑制。长期大剂量使用皮质类固醇仍然是副作用的主要原因,无论是年轻患者还是老年患者,合并症都会进一步增加慢性免疫抑制的负担。此外,对传统疗法局限性的认识催生了“难治性MG”的概念。因此,MG的治疗方法正逐渐从皮质类固醇和免疫抑制药物的经典组合,转向针对不同免疫病理步骤的新型生物化合物。已有人提出并测试了用利妥昔单抗杀死B细胞,结果呈阳性,尤其是在与肌肉特异性激酶(MuSK)相关的MG患者中。针对B细胞成熟不同阶段的治疗性单克隆抗体,或针对参与B细胞活化和功能的分子的单克隆抗体,代表了一个有待进一步研究的新领域。一种靶向不同的方法涉及依库珠单抗,这是一种单克隆抗体,可阻止C59b诱导的膜攻击复合物(MAC)形成,从而避免神经肌肉接头遭到破坏。临床试验数据促使依库珠单抗在美国和欧洲获批用于治疗MG。由于依库珠单抗是一种补体靶向疗法,其应用仅限于抗乙酰胆碱受体相关的MG,因为抗MuSK抗体属于IgG4亚类,不固定补体。几种抗补体化合物正在研究中。一种更新的方法是干扰新生儿Fc受体,从而迅速降低循环中的IgG,进而减少特异性自身抗体,这种方法适用于抗乙酰胆碱和MuSK相关的MG。对选择性靶向免疫系统的化合物的研究,将推动对疾病活动和治疗反应的特异性生物标志物的探索,为MG的个性化医疗奠定基础。
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