Evaluating general ubiquitination techniques to find a method effective for AChR autoantibodies as a potential treatment of Myasthenia Gravis
by Suhana Singh
Category: STEM
Abstract – Myasthenia gravis (MG), a chronic autoimmune disease, affects about 20 out of every 100,000 thousand people globally (Medline Plus, 2020). Currently there is no cure, but the disease can be managed with a variety of methods, the most common options being immunosuppressant medications and surgeries. MG occurs when AChR, or acetylcholine receptors, are targeted by autoantibodies produced by the bodies’ immune system. These receptors are membrane proteins found on skeletal muscles which are crucial in muscle contraction, and the damage to them causes weakness of muscles among other symptoms (Chaio, 2015). This novel literature review aimed to explore a treatment option that could target the unique autoantibodies that attack the patient’s AChR specifically, rather than the entire immune system as immunosuppressants do. Synthetic ubiquitin tagging was researched, and studies related to ubiquitination were found and reviewed. The practicability of synthetically tagging desired proteins with ubiquitin to initiate proteolysis as a potential treatment for Myasthenia Gravis was then explored. A practical method was found to be able to implement in AChR autoantibodies for MG treatment.