Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
5-2014
Journal
Muscle and Nerve
Volume
Volume 49, Issue 5
Inclusive Pages
49-56
DOI
10.1002/mus.24057
Keywords
Antigens, CD55--administration & dosage; Drug Delivery Systems--methods; Myasthenia Gravis, Autoimmune, Experimental--drug therapy; Neuromuscular Junction; Receptors, Cholinergic; Single-Chain Antibodies--therapeutic use
Abstract
Introduction: The site of pathology in myasthenia gravis (MG) is the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Our goal was to determine the ability to direct complement inhibition to the NMJ.
Methods: A single-chain antibody directed against the alpha subunit of the acetylcholine receptor was synthesized (scFv-35) and coupled to decay-accelerating factor (DAF, scFv-35-DAF). scFv-35-DAF was tested in a passive model of experimentally acquired MG.
Results: Administration of scFv-35-DAF to mice deficient in intrinsic complement inhibitors produced no weakness despite confirmation of its localization to the NMJ and no evidence of tissue destruction related to complement activation. Rats with experimentally acquired MG treated with scFV-35-DAF showed less weakness and a reduction of complement deposition.
Conclusions: We demonstrate a method to effectively target a therapeutic agent to the NMJ.
Muscle Nerve 49: 749–756, 2014
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License
APA Citation
Kusner, L.L., Satija, N., Cheng, G., Kaminski, H.J. (2014). Targeting therapy to the neuromuscular junction: Proof of concept. Muscle and Nerve, 49(5), 749-756
Peer Reviewed
1
Open Access
1
Comments
Reproduced with permission of Wiley, Muscle & Nerve.