Jan Verschuuren

Maartje Huijbers

The LUMC Neuromuscular Diseases research group has a long history in research with a special interest in myasthenia gravis (MG). The LUMC is the Dutch national referral site and recently developed the Dutch Myasthenia Gravis patient registry and biobank. Key interests of this group are unravelling the clinical and pathophysiological aspects of different forms of autoimmune MG and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome. The work is focused on (pre)clinical research discovering new forms of neuromuscular autoimmunity, understanding the pathophysiology of known variants using in vitro and animal models, investigating the etiology of (IgG4-mediated) autoimmunity and testing new therapeutics in collaboration with industrial partners.

Affiliation

J. Verschuuren: Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden
J.J.G.M.Verschuuren@lumc.nl
Keywords: Neurology/Immunology/ Neuromuscular diseases

M. Huijbers: Department of Neurology & department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden
M.G.M.Huijbers@lumc.nl
Keywords: (Neuro)immunology/ Neuromuscular diseases/ Preclinical animal research

Publications

Huijbers MG, Plomp JJ, van der Maarel SM, Verschuuren JJ. IgG4-mediated autoimmune diseases: a niche of antibody-mediated disorders. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2018.

Strijbos E, Huijbers MG, van Es IE, Alleman I, van Ostaijen-Ten Dam MM, Bakker J, van Zwet EW, Jol-van der Zijde CM, van Tol MD, Verschuuren JJ. A prospective, placebo controlled study on the humoral immune response to and safety of tetanus revaccination in myasthenia gravis. Vaccine. 2017.

Gilhus NE, Verschuuren JJ. Myasthenia gravis: subgroup classification and therapeutic strategies. Lancet Neurol. 2015.

Huijbers MG, Zhang W, Klooster R, Niks EH, Friese MB, Straasheijm KR, Thijssen PE, Vrolijk H, Plomp JJ, Vogels P, et al. MuSK IgG4 autoantibodies cause myasthenia gravis by inhibiting binding between MuSK and Lrp4. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013.

Klooster R, Plomp JJ, Huijbers MG, Niks EH, Straasheijm KR, Detmers FJ, Hermans PW, Sleijpen K, Verrips A, Losen M, et al. Muscle-specific kinase myasthenia gravis IgG4 autoantibodies cause severe neuromuscular junction dysfunction in mice. Brain. 2012.

Theses

Maartje Huijbers: The pathophysiology of MuSK myasthenia gravis. Awarded: 2016

Current PhD projects

Dana Vergoossen: Characterization of pathogenic MuSK myasthenia gravis autoantibodies and B cells.

Samar Kamar- Al Majidi: Strengthening synapses in patients with auto-immune myasthenia gravis.

Robert de Meel: Treatment of autoimmune myasthenia gravis.

Ellen Strijbos: Preventive and therapeutic vaccins for autoimmune myasthenia gravis.

Sander Lipka: Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome.