Biological aging and treatment response in myasthenia gravis
Project 2 Biological Age in Myasthenia Gravis: Impact on Stratification and Treatment Response
This project measures biological age from blood and tissue samples in people with myasthenia gravis to see if it helps explain who responds to treatments like thymectomy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | George Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Washington, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11171996 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use blood and stored specimens from the MGTX clinical trial and the EXPLORE-MG biobank to measure biological age using protein, gene expression, and DNA methylation markers. They will compare biological age to chronological age to see if people with MG appear biologically older. The team will study immune-cell features like T cell mitochondrial activity and methylation to find drivers of autoimmunity. Finally, they will check whether effective treatment is linked to a reduction in biological age and whether higher biological age predicts treatment resistance.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with myasthenia gravis similar to participants in the MGTX trial (approximately ages 18–65) or those able to contribute samples to the EXPLORE-MG biobank are the best fit.
Not a fit: Children, people older than the trial age range, or those who cannot provide blood or tissue samples are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help personalize MG care by identifying patients less likely to respond to certain treatments and guiding therapy choices.
How similar studies have performed: Biological age measures have shown promise in other diseases, but applying these metrics to myasthenia gravis and predicting treatment response is a new approach.
Where this research is happening
Washington, United States
- George Washington University — Washington, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kusner, Linda Louise — George Washington University
- Study coordinator: Kusner, Linda Louise
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.